Sculpture

Royston’s work, in both miniature and full scale, involves figurative sculpture. The ceiling of the model of the Sledmere drawing room contains four panels of bas relief classical figures, ten figures per panel. Royston had not worked in bas relief before so it was a challenge to be overcome. Subsequent modelmaking projects have also involved low relief figurative work.

In 1998, Royston was asked to recreate the original plasterwork on the walls of the Front Parlour at Home House, Portman Square, London, working from Robert Adam’s drawings. The figures, together with surrounding husks and ribbons were all modelled in plasticine on pieces of wood. The modelling was delivered to a casting workshop in London where the pieces were cast and installed on the walls of the room. The work was featured in articles on the restoration of Home House in Country Life and House & Garden.

Royston has been working long term on a portrait sculpture of Queen Marie Antoinette of France and is producing the definitive portrait, working from every image he can lay his hands on. It has been a struggle to convert paper reference into a lifelike figure and to capture her personality. He continues to make small changes and adjustments until he gets the required result. Once, completed she will be moulded and cast in a lighter weight material. She will be dressed in full court regalia in the finest silks, all hand stitched, everything based on his many years of research into 18th century costume.

He was commissioned to model a bust of Laurence Sterne, 18th century author, working from photographs of the marble bust of Sterne by Nollekens which is at Shandy Hall, North Yorkshire. The bust was moulded and cast in plaster by Kayvic in South Wales.

He is happy to reproduce Coade stone ornaments and bas relief figurative work.

View the Sculpture Gallery here.