EXHIBITION AT MASBRO CENTRE

Stan and the Minotaur

A 6ft sculpture of a Minotaur by retired builder and decorator Stan Stockwell is one of the highlights of an exhibition of artwork by adult education students at the Masbro Centre.

The exhibition, which runs until the end of this month, comprises about 30 life drawings and 30 sculptures by students who attend classes at the Masbro Centre, in West Kensington, run by Hammersmith & Fulham's adult education service.

One of the sculptures - a 6ft-tall Minotaur, made of plaster and wire – is the work of Stan Stockwell, 60, who took early retirement from his job as a general foreman after being seriously injured in a fall at the building site he was working at.

Stan had no formal art training before he began attending drawing classes at the Macbeth adult education centre, in Hammersmith, four years ago, followed by life drawing classes at the Masbro Centre. He progressed to sculpture at the Masbro Centre just over two years ago. Thanks to Stan’s hard work, natural ability and a lot of help and encouragement from his lecturer, Jan Buckley, his progress has been phenomenal.

The Minotaur is the result of six months’ work in Jan’s Masbro Centre classes and at Stan’s home in Shepherds Bush. It was unveiled to his astonished family and friends at a barbecue a few weeks ago.

“It’s the best thing I have done,” said Stan. “I surprised myself and my family – my wife and children can hardly believe that I have made it. I unveiled it at a barbecue and they were all standing around with their mouths open.

I had never done any drawing since school. I was all right at it then but never followed it up when I got into my job because I was working so hard. The classes here have been an eye-opener. I worked hard and read a lot about other sculptors. Jan has helped me all the time – she is full of knowledge on anything I wanted to know.”

Stan is now taking a portfolio preparation course at the Munster Centre to help him develop his artwork further, as well as continuing with his sculpture and life-drawing at the Masbro Centre.

Lecturer Jan Buckley said: “Stan is a wonderful student. He has a natural power in his drawing and sculpture and obviously has a good eye. He really does work on what you teach him.”

The life drawing and sculpture classes run at the Masbro Centre on Thursdays.