Rustic Mania

21/08/2026

🐉 When a sculpture starts to tell its own story…

One of the things I love about creating a commission like this is that the finished sculpture isn’t simply my interpretation of an idea. It develops through conversations with the client, the character of the timber and all those little decisions that happen along the way.

The Wickham Dragon is a wonderful example.

Camilla has been developing her own fantasy story around the young dragon — now named Fela — and elements of that story are actually becoming part of the sculpture itself.

Some of the most personal additions are tiny polished stones and gemstones that Camilla collected from beaches as a child. One has now been incorporated into Fela’s eye, while others have been carefully set into the rock upon which he has landed.

And there’s a reason they’re there…

Within the story, Fela is a young dragon who has discovered this special rock and the precious gemstones it contains. By eating them, he will gain what he needs to grow. 🐉💎

When the sculpture is complete, Camilla plans to reveal another part of Fela’s story each week on a plaque beside him. I’m hoping to share those chapters here too, so everyone can follow his adventures.

This week also saw another major transformation: his steel horns are finally in place.

I fabricated them individually from steel, textured and shaped them, then used heat to create their natural temper colours before sealing them with clear lacquer. They were designed and prepared in advance to fit into the head so that they appear to grow naturally from the timber — and thankfully all that careful measuring paid off!

Perhaps the loveliest part is that Fela is already attracting attention. I’ve been told that people have spotted him from the main road and actually driven up to take a closer look — and he’s not even finished yet.

That’s what makes projects like this special.

Sometimes you’re not simply creating a sculpture.

You’re creating a character, a story and, hopefully, something that becomes part of a place.

And Fela’s story is only just beginning… 🐉

18/08/2026

A little detail from the dragon build that I’m especially pleased with… 🐉🔥

These horns started out as plain steel, shaped and worked by hand to get that long, natural curve.

Once I was happy with the form, I tempered the steel with heat — and that’s where the magic happened. The surface developed these incredible blues, purples, bronzes and almost oil-slick colours, changing depending on the light and angle.

Rather than covering that up, I decided to make it part of the finished piece.

They’ve now been sealed with a clear lacquer to preserve those heat-tempered colours and keep the raw, forged character of the steel visible.

I think they’re going to look absolutely spot on once they’re fitted to the dragon. 🐉

It’s these little details that really bring a sculpture to life.

18/08/2026

31/07/2026

A sculpture isn’t always carved from start to finish… sometimes the most important part is simply waiting. 🌳🐦

This oak kingfisher was roughed out several months ago before being carefully set aside to season. Although it’s tempting to keep carving, allowing the timber time to dry first helps minimise movement and larger cracks before the finer detail is added.

It also gives me the opportunity to monitor how the timber behaves, repair and stabilise any natural cracks that develop during drying, and ensure the sculpture is in the best possible condition before it ever leaves my workshop. Taking that extra time results in a stronger, better finished piece that will stand the test of time.

During August I’ll be returning to complete this commission for Test Valley Borough Council. The finished sculpture will stand approximately 1.5 metres tall in Tadburn Meadows, celebrating one of our most iconic British birds. The beak will be hand-crafted from steel for both strength and longevity, making it suitable for a public space where it can be enjoyed for many years.

It’s always exciting revisiting a sculpture after a few months away. Fresh eyes often reveal little improvements that help bring the wildlife to life.

Alongside the kingfisher, I’ll also be completing several other commissions this month, so there will be plenty of updates to share over the coming weeks.

Thank you to everyone who continues to follow, support and share my work—it really is appreciated.

Roger Coolbear
Rusticmania – Art, Nature & the Wild Life

23/07/2026

Another little update from the Wickham Dragon! 🐉

The sculpture is really starting to come to life now, and I’m pleased with how it’s developing. There is still plenty of carving to do, but every day it becomes a little more believable.

I’m taking a few well-earned days away with the family, then have one more day on site before I’m off on holiday for a couple of weeks. After that it’ll be straight back into the final stages, adding more detail and bringing this dragon to its full potential.

A huge thank you to everyone who’s been following the journey, commenting and sharing the updates. Your encouragement genuinely means a lot and helps support independent artists like myself.

I’ll be back with more progress soon!

— Roger
Rusticmania – Art, Nature & the Wild Life

19/07/2026

15/07/2026

🐉 The Wickham Dragon is starting to wake…

There’s a point in every sculpture where it stops looking like a lump of timber and starts looking alive. Today felt like one of those moments.

The eyes, scales and teeth are beginning to work together, giving the dragon its own character and expression. Every day the timber reveals a little more of the creature that’s been hidden inside it.

Although inspired by mythology, I always try to base my work on real anatomy. The neck, shoulders and limbs all need to look as though they could genuinely support the animal. Even the wing features a small gripping claw, inspired by nature, helping the dragon cling to its rocky perch.

One of the biggest challenges has been working around the natural shape of the beech tree. Rather than forcing my original design, I’ve let the timber guide the final sculpture. The remaining fork has become a rocky pinnacle, with the dragon wrapping itself around it as though it has claimed the rock as its lookout.

There’s still a long way to go—horns, claws, wings and plenty of refinement—but it’s incredibly rewarding to see the dragon finally starting to come to life.

Thank you to everyone who has stopped for a chat, waved from passing cars or followed the progress online. Your encouragement really does help on these long days.

Roger Coolbear
Rusticmania – Art, Nature & the Wild Life

14/07/2026

Day 4 – The dragon is finally waking up… 🐉

Today was one of those days where the sculpture suddenly starts to find its character.

The neck has now been shaped and I’ve begun refining the head, eyes and scales. It’s still very much a work in progress, but it’s amazing how a few hundred careful cuts can transform a lump of timber into something with expression.

Working conditions are still far from easy. Every movement has to be made from a scaffold tower on a steep bank beside a road, and hidden nails in the old beech continue to dull chains and slow progress.

It’s not the fastest project I’ve ever worked on… but it’s certainly one of the most challenging.

Seeing the dragon finally lift its head towards the sky makes all those hours worthwhile.

Still a long way to go…

🐉 Roger Coolbear
Rusticmania – Art, Nature & the Wild Life

10/07/2026

Dragon Project – Day 3 🐉

The dragon has finally started to reveal itself…

Today was all about roughing out the head and neck, but it was slow going.

Working from a scaffold tower on a steep bank beside a road means every cut takes longer than it would in the workshop. Add in temperatures of around 35°C, countless hidden nails buried in the timber (which meant stopping to chisel them out and sharpen the chainsaw), and it’s Been certainly been a test of patience.

The newest addition to the toolkit? A parasol! ☂️ Sometimes it’s the simple things that make all the difference.

Although it’s only blocked out at this stage, I’m really pleased to finally see the dragon beginning to emerge from the beech.

There’s still a huge amount of refinement to come, but this is the moment where a lump of timber starts to become a sculpture. Steel horns to be added to the head when completed.

Watch this space… 🐉

— Roger Coolbear
Rusticmania – Art, Nature & the Wild Life

09/07/2026

Dragon Project – Day 2 🐉

Another hot day on the Wickham dragon!

Progress has been a little slower than I’d hoped today, but that’s all part of working on a mature tree in its natural setting.

I’ve lost count of how many old nails and pieces of metal I’ve uncovered hidden inside the beech. Every one means stopping work, carefully chiselling it out and sharpening the chainsaw before carrying on.

Working from a scaffold tower on a steep bank beside a road also makes everything slower. Every tool, every saw and every movement takes longer than it would in the workshop, but safety always comes first.

If that wasn’t enough… today’s temperature was around 37°C, so the new addition to the toolkit was a rather fetching parasol! ☂️ 😄

Despite all that, the upper section is beginning to take shape, and I’m finally starting to see the dragon hidden within the timber.

One careful cut at a time… 🐉