The maker Ruth Wheeler will work with the community of Leatherhead Common in Mole Valley. This specific area of Leatherhead is sanwhiched between the M25 to the north and the London mainline railway to the east. The project will focus on the development of a community garden at a local school.
ruth wheeler
www.ruthwheeler.co.uk
Ruth’s craft is wood carving and anything to do with wood, be it willow, tree sculpture, carving relief panels, rustic sculptural benches and sculptures. Her work is inspired by organic as well as female forms using natural materials especially wood, stone and ceramics.
Ruth trained in arts education, gaining a degree in Arts Education Studies from the Cardiff Institute of Higher Education. She has gone on to develop a career based in community engagement. Ruth believes in taking art to the people as well as providing venues for people to access the arts. She feels that participation in the arts can start to alter people’s perceptions and self confidence so that they can make a difference in their community and society.
Ruth has been involved in delivering community arts in Surrey for over seventeen years. Her career started in Lockwood, running sculpture based workshops for adults with learning disabilities. Ruth is the founder and director of SCULPT it, a community arts organisation based near Godalming. She has worked closely with the communities of Ockford Ridge and Godalming on a series of community based projects including two park regeneration projects which have seen the creation of large carved wood flowers and a community mosaic sign.
Ruth has a mobile wood studio that she tours to the community which includes all the items needed to work with wood. Ruth believes that everyone loves to have a go with a mallet and chisel. She feels there is something about this activity that seems to help people to relax and de-stress allowing them to get totally involved in what they are doing. She believes wood carving is an activity that really engages young people, particularly the boys who have great skill and dexterity to use the tools properly and make something really good.
Ruth has completed many large scale public sculptures and many outdoor functional works around Surrey and the South East such as seating in wood and living willow woven sculptures. Recent exhibitions have included ‘Outside In’ at Haselmere Education Museum and sculptures of the ‘Life Cycle of an Oak’ featured in Anita Smiths silver award wining show garden the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2010.