The pictures here show just a few of the pieces in this year’s Summer Show of the City and Guilds of London Art School Historic Carving Department.

The Department is headed by Tim Crawley, the renowned sculptor-mason who, among a great many other projects, designed the Modern Martyrs on Westminster Abbey, some of which he also carved.

Like all the lecturers at City and Guilds of London Art School, he is a practising artist-craftsperson.

You can read more about the school and Tim’s role in it at bit.ly/C-GArt but, in summary, it is a small institution on Kennington Park Road SE11 with a unique identity and a distinguished history going back 160 years. Its philosophy is based on the ideals of the Arts & Crafts movement.

The courses of the Historic Carving Department are designed to suit a variety of students. They all have access to generous bursary funding to cover varying proportions of the fees.

The courses combine the teaching of the traditional craft skills of carving and lettercutting with the art skills of observational drawing and modelling. As the courses are taught by practising craftsmen and women, students are prepared for professional practice when they complete their courses. Many former alumni have forged enviable reputations in the heritage sector, often establishing their own businesses.