I began to follow my life long passion to learn the art of carving stone some 25 years ago after a long career in the music world in London and I now live and work on the west coast of Ireland where the land meets the sea and no two days are the same. This part of the world is the home of my maternal ancestors and I feel a strong sense of purpose and place here. I am married to the wonderful writer and artist Dr Lynn Parr. 

Born in Salisbury, Wiltshire in 1964 I have spent much of my life surrounded by music and monumental art. My late father, Dr Christopher Dearnley, was the organist at Salisbury Cathedral and then St Paul's Cathedral, London from 1968 1989. So for me, from an early age I have been witness to a majesty of music and sculpture of the highest order. This I find has been a major underlying influence for my work as a sculptor. Together with my first professional career for over twenty-five years as an instrument technician in London with some of the finest musicians on the planet. I found that there is a thread which connects this first career to my current work as a sculptor. For as the intuitive expression of a jazz saxophonist leads one on a journey through a standard tune, so too will the action of 'direct carving' in stone, which is itself a journey of discovery of not only the sculpture being created but also of the sculptor who is finding himself in the stone. I have a constant drive to create works that celebrate my spiritual connection and this becomes fused within my sculptures as an expression of love and gratitude.

In 1997 I began my studies carving stone with a master sculptor, Mr. Les Sandham (who had worked with Jacob Epstein), and this inspirational teacher, who was then in his 80's, showed me the truth of material and gave light to my own practice which began with the first strike of the hammer. In 2003 I gave up my day job and returned to study Sculpture full time at Camberwell University, which I then knew I had to devote myself to completely. Also, whilst spending many hours in the British Museum studying the classical Greek figurative fragments from over 2000 years ago, I realized that i had a deep affinity with this form of classical sculpture. I felt a connection with the masters of the past and a deep admiration for Rodin, Michelangelo and Canova as each of these sculptors had one thing in common - they were each involved with sculpting the human figure with its expressive nature that showed a deep reflection of inner truth and beauty.

Cicero said, "Each thing contains within itself the germ of its own future". However, it is only when we fully recognize the particular germ which is uniquely our own that we can fully nurture it.

In 2007, after my degree I traveled to Italy to find the mountains of marble in Carrara and to live and work in 2 very different studios. My Italian diaries tell of that time in detail and that period of my life has proved invaluable to me. I am forever grateful to Nigel Konstam at the Verrocchio Arts Centro, for his inspirational teachings whilst working along side him in Tuscany in the spring time and to Marco Giannoni and his team in Pietrasanta, Niccola, Fabio, Francesco and of course the amazing Mori, for their kindness and patience while I learned some of the ancient traditions of carving marble with them.

My Avenue of Champions series, with some of our finest Olympic and Paralympics athletes has also been a huge inspiration for me. The strength and determination they show in each of their disciplines has had a lasting effect on me. For when the work of carving stone by hand gets too much and it all feels like it is going nowhere, I only have to reflect on their incredible determination and achievements to find the next level of personal strength to keep going.

Now some 25 years later I still feel just as excited when I begin a new block of stone or a new creative collaboration. I now have many sculptures in the public realm as well as private collectors from across the world and I hope you will enjoy looking through my website. I believe that I have found my place in the world and am grateful for all the projects I have been fortunate enough to have been able to work on and I look forward to all those still to come.

Please do get in touch if you would like to commission me to make a personal work for you or your business as I'm always happy to discuss ideas and collaborate.