Otter Sculpture by Lawrence Broderick

Lawrence Broderick - Otter Sculpture In Stone and Bronze

Lawrence Broderick has long had an interest in wildlife and particularly in otters. These beautiful and graceful creatures have held a fascination for him which is apparent in his otter sculpture. He captures their playfulness and charm in his otter sculpture.

Laurence has been inspired by the Ring Of Brightwater story as written by Gavin Maxwell. Maxwell wrote his autobiographical account of his life with otters which featured his otter Edal while living at Sandaig, a small archipelago of islands to the south of Glenelg in Scotland. The largest island in the chain has a lighthouse but there's no longer a lighthouse keeper's cottage nearby. That burnt down in 1968 ending the "story" of Camusfearna. Today visitors to Sandaig can still see the location of the house, as a large boulder marks the last resting-place of its most enigmatic tenant. The fame that followed the publication of Ring Of Brightwater forever changed Sandaig from a remote location with beautiful shell sand beaches to one of the most visited areas on the north west coast of Scotland.

As well as the graves of Maxwell and his famous otter Edal, (who perished in the fire which destroyed the house) there are still some tangible reminders of Maxwell's time there.

Click here for details of the next otter sculpture exhibition

diving otter sculpture

Born in Bristol, 1935, Lawrence studied sculpture under Geoffrey Deeley at the Regent Street Polytechnic, and Sidney Harpley and Keith Godwin at the Hammersmith School of Art, London. He divides his time between studios in Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Skye.

Childhood influence from pebbles and bones with their subtle shapes and curves is at once apparent in the artist's stonecarving. His skill lends his work vitality, tactility and movement, emphasized by simplified forms, subtle curves, flowing lines and smooth surfaces, often contrasted by small areas of rough texture.

Predominantly a stone carver, Lawrence works with many types of stone including Ledmore, Portsoy and Purbeck Marbles, Alabaster, Polyphant Soapstone, Hopton Wood and Ancaster Limestone. He also models in clay, plasticine, plaster and wax for casting into bronze.

Otter-like animals have inhabited the earth for the last 30 million years and over the years have undergone subtle changes to the carnivore bodies to exploit the rich acquatic environment. The Eurasian otter has an acute sense of sight, smell and hearing. The eyes are placed high on the head so that it can see when the rest of the body is below water.