The inspiration behind two sculptures on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean is the Bath stonemason’s unsuspecting student son, it has been revealed.
Tanya Josham couldn’t believe her luck when her sculpture based on her son Daniel was selected to go on display in a park on the border of the United States and Canada.
She has now been commissioned to make a sister sculpture for Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol – which is internationally-recognised as one of Britain’s best Victorian garden cemeteries.
It will be unveiled at the 175th anniversary of Arnos Vale Cemetery on Sunday, July 27 in the presence of the Lord Lieutenant of Bristol, Mary Prior.
Tanya is the stonemasonry technician at City of Bath College and 23-year-old Daniel is studying carpentry at the College. Mother and son are both based at the Construction Skills Centre in Oldfield Park.
Tanya said: “It’s a great honour that my work has been recognised as I’ve never actually been a mason by trade.
“It’s just that as my son grew up I had more time on my hands so I started carving. I’m the type of person who always has to be doing something.
“I didn’t expect this to happen, not even in my wildest dreams. I was selected to be the first British artist to display at the Peace Arch Park then I was asked to do a sister piece for Arnos Vale, I still can’t quite believe it.”
Tanya entered an annual competition to design a sculpture for the Peace Arch Park in Blaine, America, which was created to commemorate the peace treaty between Great Britain and the newly formed USA.
She’d spotted the competition on Twitter and was “totally blown away” when ‘Soul I, Soul of Youth’ was selected.
The sculpture was on display in the park from May to October last year and is currently in storage while a new permanent city centre location is found.
‘Soul II, Soul of Experience’ will be placed on the patio of the newly renovated café at Arnos Vale Cemetery and will incorporate a donation box.
Tanya said: “Both pieces are based on how I see my son at different stages of his life, they represent his growth.
“Soul I is based on how I saw my son at the beginning of his life. His two wings are folded in as he’s just starting out. He’s looking very youthful and he needs protecting.
“But Soul II is an older-looking sculpture to tie in with the cemetery theme. The idea is that this soul is a lot older and in full flight. It expresses growth and shows he’s a lot more experienced and confident.”
She added: “I just make things that come into my head but my son thinks I’m barking mad. I don’t think he wanted one sculpture, and now there are two based on him.”
Daniel admitted it felt “a little strange” to have his life in stone with sculptures at home and abroad.
He said: “It’s good to tell people about the sculptures but mum’s ideas are pretty out there!
“I don’t mind being her inspiration, I didn’t know at first but she’s always working on something new so I’ve just got used to it.”
Tanya was working in the workshop of a hire tool company and receiving carving tuition from sculptor Jamie Vanns, when he suggested some formal training in 2003. She enrolled on a two-year Level 2 stonemasonry course at City of Bath College to improve her skills.
Tanya said: “I just started making my own stuff at home and practicing my chisel skills. I’ve always enjoyed working with tools so stonecarving seemed like the obvious hobby for me.
“I learned so much as a student at the college, it was a great environment and I loved that I was actually making things out of the right materials rather than whatever I could find!”
It was just by chance that a technician’s job came up at City of Bath College as she finished the course and she started working alongside the same lecturers who taught her. It is her job to cut the stone, sharpen the tools and prepare the workshops for lessons.
Tanya said: “I knew the building, I knew the people, and having been a student I had a good idea about what improvements would work.
“But you could say I just didn’t want to leave College. And now my son is here with me too. We’re keeping it in the family!”
Tanya estimates she spends up to 12 hours a week working on new pieces of work at her home studio.
She is also a volunteer at Arnos Vale Cemetery and was heavily involved in organising last year’s Bristol Festival of Stone.