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Christine Charlesworth (nee Fullwood)
Sculptor
Christine Charlesworth (nee Fullwood) Sculptor
BT Art of Sport & Olympic 2012 Accredited Sculptor
http://christinecharlesworth.co.uk/
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James Harold Fullwood |
Christine Charlesworth (nee Fullwood,) is my second cousin
and born in 1949 in Wolverhampton, the daughter of Maureen
Birtwhistle and James Harold Fullwood, (Wolverhampton
Borough Council Alderman and Sales Director of the
Staffordshire Tyre Company the former tyre retail company
trading from premises in Chapel Ash Wolverhampton).
Christine after studying at the Wolverhampton College of Art
from 1966 until 1969 followed a varied career but now
concentrates on sculpture, focusing particularly on the
human form, which she finds to be an endless source of
inspiration. She was elected a full member of the Society of
Women Artists in 2007 and a member of the Royal British
Society of Sculptors in 2008.
Christine has to date
undertaken over 40 private and public commissions. See the
family tree below.
Specialising in figurative sculptures and
portraiture, Christine feels it is important
that a sculpture should not only capture a
likeness, but also the spirit and personality of
the sitter and she also endeavours to show life
and natural movement in each piece. |
Working in clay, once the figure is
built she uses sculpting tools to "lay on" and "cut
back" so that a variety of finishes can be achieved,
giving texture, light and depth to the final surface.
Work comprises short-run limited editions and individual
pieces to private or public commission.
Christine in 2012 worked as part of the 'BT Art of Sport'
group of 10 international artists. This has given her the
opportunity to produce a series of limited-edition Olympic
action figures, as well as a portrait figure of Ade Adepitan
MBE, Paralympic Ambassador, playing basketball. This work
won an award at the 2011 SWA exhibition in London.
Public Sculptures
Christine has undertaken the following public commissions
together with their locations: -
| 'OUT OF REACH' |
Full size child for Garden of Remembrance at
The Royal School 2004. |
| 'SEEDS OF HOPE' |
Two life size children. Seeds of Hope Garden
at Guildford Cathedral 2008. |
| 'ORANGES &
LEMONS' |
4 life size children all playing Oranges
and Lemons , for Ramster, Surrey, 2009. |
| 'GIRL WITH
VIOLIN' |
Life size figure of girl playing the
violin for gardens of Ramster, Surrey, 2010. |
| 'WINNING SHOT' |
Ade Adepitan MBE playing wheelchair
basketball. Purchased by Woking Borough
Council 2012. Also in offices of Sir Keith Mills, LOCOG
Chairman, London. |
| 'GILES LONG MBE' |
Portrait head and shoulders of Paralympic
Gold medalist and world record holder. |
| 'WE CARRIED THE
FLAME' |
BT Tower 2012. |
| 'DIVING IN' |
Half life-size figure of diver. University of
Surrey Sports Park 2012. |
| 'IAN RICKETTS' |
Portrait head and shoulders for GSA
University of Surrey 2012. |
AJS Sculpture Award for 'Watching' and 'DIGNITY'
Christine won two awards for her sculptures at the recent
annual exhibition held at Guildford House Gallery, Surrey.
(October-November 2013) 'Watching' won the AJS Sculpture
Award and 'Dignity' was joint winner of the President's
Award for Portraiture, sharing this award with a portrait
painting.
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Watching |
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Dignity |
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Winning Shot unveiled in Woking Town Centre
On Saturday 3rd November 2012 'Winning Shot' , portrait of
Ade Adepitan by Christine Charlesworth was unveiled in
Woking Town Centre. In the newly named and re-designed
Jubile Square, the sculpture can be seen outside the
Library. |
Christine Charlesworth chats with HRH Princess Michael of
Kent at the
Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition. |
| Christine exhibits with Surrey Sculpture Society and other
venues throughout the year and also has a permanent
exhibition on display at her studio, where work-in-progress
can be viewed.
Sydney March (1876-1968) - Sculptor
Christine and I are related to the internationally known
British monumental sculptor Sydney March (first cousin three
times removed). See the March & Blenkin family tree below.
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| Sydney March was born in 1876 and died in 1968. He was one
of nine children born to George Henry March and Elizabeth
Blenkin who were from Sutton near to Kingston upon Hull
Yorkshire. Elizabeth Blenkin's brother was Henry Blenkin the
x2 great grandfather of Christine Charlesworth and me. See
the family tree at Appendix A. George and Elizabeth had
nine children together with eight of the March children
becoming artists and sculptors. Three of these children
became sculptors (Sydney, Elsie and Vernon) and the
remaining artist siblings were Edward (1873-1941), Percival
(born c.1878), Frederick (born c.1881), Dudley (1885-1962)
and Walter (born c.1889). |
Film extract - Sydney March at work in his studio. |
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all lived and worked for most of their careers at their
family home in Goddendene in Kent. Below are some screen
shots of family members taken from a film about
the March family. |
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Elsie March |
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Dudley March |
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Frederick March |
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Walter & Percival
March |
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Harold Thomas Fullwood (Mayor of Wolverhampton - MD of
Staffordshire Tyre). |
Sydney March was close to his first cousin Harold Thomas
Fullwood (Mayor of Wolverhampton in 1952 and MD of
Staffordshire Tyre Company) to the extent Sydney painted a
large oil painting of Christine's grandfather - Harold
Thomas Fullwood, who was Mayor of Wolverhampton (in 1952)
and Managing Director of the Staffordshire Tyre Company of
Chapel Ash Wolverhampton.
Sydney also produced two busts one of Christine's and my
great grandmother Annie Louisa Fullwood (nee Blenkin) and
two other family oil paintings.
Annie Louisa Fullwood (nee Blenkin) was born in
Wolverhampton after her father Henry Blenkin left Burstwick
in Yorkshire to work in the water industry as Company
Secretary at the Wrexham Water Company before moving to
Wolverhampton.
Henry was related (cousin) to Lyons Wright
who worked for the Wolverhampton New Water Company as senior
engineer and manager. |
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Annie Louisa Fullwood (nee Blenkin). |
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| Christine Charlesworth (nee Fullwood) visited Sydney's
studio when she was 18 and met him and also his sister,
Elsie March. Christine said "His studios were enormous and
had a roof that opened up so that huge sculptures could be
taken out with a crane".
There were also huge doors for
other sculptures to be taken out. She added "Elsie was a
lovely lady who wore a flat straw hat". Sydney's studio was
such an amazing place that may have inspired Christine to
become a sculptor.
One of Sydney's earliest commissions was a marble portrait
of King Edward VII for Windsor Castle. The royal family
subsequently visited the artist's home. Sydney together with
five of his other siblings helped complete the bronze groups
for the National War Memorial of Canada in Ottawa. |
National War Memorial of Canada in Ottawa. |
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This was a commission that was awarded to Vernon March in
open competition in January 1926 and was left incomplete
when he died of pneumonia in 1930. The family completed the
work by 1932 and are said to have cast the bronzes at
Goddendene. In 1937, after the memorial groups had been
shown in London, they were transported to Ottawa and the
memorial arch was constructed. The unveiling ceremony took
place on 21 May 1939.
There is further information about the National War Memorial
of Canada in Ottawa at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_War_Memorial_%28Canada%29The Marches, including their mother, Elizabeth Blenkin, and
father, George Henry March, are buried at St. Giles Church,
Farnborough, Kent. The grave is marked by a bronze statue by
Sydney March, dating from 1922. |
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