Jim Redington, who is a little on the senior side of 70, is a walking advertisement for an active retirement. He has appeared on TV regularly in commercials for Smithwick's, and has staged a number of exhibitions of wood sculptures.

Jim's sculptures are the tokens of what it describes as "a lifelong love of wood". His relationship with wood, while deep and passionate, has been something of an on-off affair, forced to compete with Jim's enthusiasm for Gaelic games and his career as a gifted masseur whose hands have stroked and pummelled the bodies attached to some of Ireland's best-known faces.

Jim was born in Galway, but grew up in Dublin, spending his childhood in Ballymun, in the days before the tower blocks, and after having spent some time in America, returned to Stillorgan, in South County Dublin.

Together with his friend Liam Roe, a sculptor, he attended night classes in art and metalwork at the National college of Art, where he graduated. After showing some of his work to craft shops, he was able to make a living by turning out penal crosses and "Men of Aran" figurines.

Following his first Exhibition, Jim's enthusiasm for sculpturing came into full flow.

His pieces range in height from 12 inches to eight feet tall. They employ a wide range of woods, including yew, bog oak, elm, walnut, sycamore and mahogany.

They are all broadly figurative, many depicting animals and human figures. "Sometimes you know right away what you want to do with a piece of wood", Jim says, "but sometimes you have to start working and let the natural shape and grain lead you. That's why I love working with wood - as a medium, it gives you much more than stone does."

The Variety of styles available is baffling, unique and all are 'one offs". Some wood is even from the depths of Wood Quay, after it was excavated, and well over 400 years old. Some of the 'bog' pieces maybe over a thousand years old.

Contact Information:

Jim Redington

Sculpture

14 Merville Ave

Stillorgan

Co. Dublin

Tel: +353 1 2880253