Clunie Fretton at work on a large scale bronze sculpture
Clunie Fretton is a classically trained sculptor, master carver & gilder, who graduated from City & Guilds of London Art School in 2015 with a Distinction in Ornamental Woodcarving & Gilding. She served as the Carving Fellow for the year 2015-2016 before setting up her current practice with partner Felix Handley. She has been awarded the Journeyman and Master Carver Certificate under the Master Certificate scheme to recognise excellence in craftsmanship, the Taylor Pearce Drawing Prize for Carving & Conservation, the Anthony and Margaret Wood Marketing Bursary of the Society of Heraldic Arts, the Newby Trust Award at Cockpit Arts, and is a scholar of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust. Clunie is a master carver and member of the Master Carvers’ Association, the oldest association of carvers in the world.
Clunie is conversant in both wood and stone carving, as well as a range of other materials including bronze, plaster, and synthetic casting materials. She is an experienced gilder, including oil gilding, water gilding & the restoration of antique gilt surfaces. She has a rigorous foundation in technical drawing and the production of sculptural forms, both figurative and ornamental. Her work in the restoration and conservation world as well as in the artistic one grant her sensitivity and understanding when working with Listed buildings and protected or antique objects, as well as in the creation of new artworks. Clunie contributes to the ongoing development of UK heritage skills through her teaching. Her work is in the Houses of Parliament, the Victoria & Albert Museum, St. George's Chapel Windsor, London livery companies, and museums, cathedrals and churches around the UK.