Geoffrey Preston

Halscombe Farm Workshop

Plaster and stucco worker

©NICK CARTER

©MARK GIRVAN

Reviving the long lost art of stucco

Geoffrey brings traditional techniques into the modern age with his work
His plasterwork creations centre around flowers and plant motifs
He works on architectural projects to decorate entire rooms

In the heart of Devon, Geoffrey Preston leads a small team of sculptors, breathing new life into the ancient art of decorative plasterwork. A graduate of Hornsey College of Art, Geoffrey's journey took him from sculpture to stonemasonry and carving before finding his calling in stucco. In 2000, he established his workshop and became one of the UK's foremost architectural sculptors. His commissions, ranging from single signature pieces to entire room transformations, grace buildings across the world. Geoffrey's work is a symphony of bold, flowing forms, where rhythm and movement dance with light and shadow. Each piece is a testament to his vision: creating highly sculptural, distinctive artworks that are both original and exquisitely crafted.

Interview

When did you first gain interest for this craft?: In 1989, one of the finest houses in the south of England, Uppark, burnt down. I was involved with the restoration of the 18th century ceilings which required the rediscovery of techniques and recipes that had been practically extinct for generations.
How is your atelier organised?: My wife Jenny and I run the workshop together, assisted by sculptor Kate Montagne. In 2013 Kate was funded by The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust to apprentice with us and she stayed on. Sometimes we have one or two freelance sculptors too.
What would you advise an aspiring young artisan in your field?: Just do it. Practise in every spare moment. Copy, experiment. Educate yourself about your craft and look closely at examples of it through the ages, and across continents. Fall in love with the physical process of making.
What makes your work recognisable?: Flowers are a central theme in my work. I am inspired by the portrayal of flowers and leaves in 18th-century plasterwork and in other decorative arts, such as the exquisite flower painting on Sèvres porcelain, and in paintings by Rococo artists such as Boucher.

Geoffrey Preston is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1977