Process

From a block of clay

How a single figurative portrait comes into being — slowly, by hand, over many stages.

A grid of photographs showing the Fashion Designer portrait developing from a rough clay block-out to the finished sculpted head, stage by stage

Every sculpture begins as a simple block of clay. From this starting point, the figure gradually emerges through a process of observation, shaping, refining and reworking.

The photographs shown here follow the development of the Fashion Designer portrait — from the initial block-out to the completed sculpture. Each stage records a moment in the transformation, revealing how form, proportion, expression and character are slowly discovered within the clay.

Hand-building is an intentionally slow process. It requires patience and a willingness to respond to the material as the sculpture develops. For me, the process is as important as the finished work — the marks, adjustments and imperfections become part of the journey from clay to sculpture.

© 2026 Lee Anchor Sculpture. All rights reserved. I acknowledge the Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) people as the traditional custodians of this land on which we walk, work, learn and gather. I honour and pay respects to their ancestors, elders and emerging generations.