Fiona Peever facts for kids

Fiona Leonora H. Peever (born in 1964) is a talented British sculptor. She lives and works in Oxfordshire, England. Fiona creates amazing art, often working with her husband, Alec Peever, who is also a sculptor. Together, they run a studio called Lettering and Sculpture Limited. Fiona is known for carving sculptures from stone and other materials. Her artworks can be seen in public places, schools, and churches. She also makes special pieces for private collectors. One of her most famous works is the sculpture of Thomas Attwood in Birmingham (1993). It's special because it looks like Attwood has stepped off his platform to sit on the steps, reading his notes.

Early Life and Education

Fiona Leonora H. Winkler was born in Richmond, London, in 1964. Her family has a history in London, with many members working in skilled jobs. In 1985, she married Alec Thomas Peever, who is also a sculptor and her business partner. They have been working together on art projects since 1983. Fiona studied art at the City and Guilds of London Art School, graduating in 1984.

Sculpting Career

Fiona Peever and her husband, Alec Peever, run their art studio called Lettering & Sculpture Limited. It is located in Ducklington, Oxfordshire. The company started in 2008, and Fiona became a director in 2015. She often works with Alec and other artists to create her sculptures.

Fiona is an expert in public art, which means art made for everyone to see in public places. She creates large sculptures, does stone carving, and adds special lettering to her works. She uses both old and new techniques in her art. Her sculptures are made from many different materials, including wood, steel, bronze, and various types of stone like slate and marble.

She also specializes in carving for buildings, such as churches and memorials in graveyards. Fiona has designed art trails with poetry, and created garden and water features. Many of these are public artworks. She and Alec have shown their work in many art exhibitions and have won several awards for their creations.

Notable Artworks

Fiona Peever has worked on many exciting projects. Here are a few examples of her collaborations with Alec and other artists.

The Thomas Attwood Sculpture, 1993

This sculpture is in Chamberlain Square, Birmingham. Its full name is Thomas Attwood 1783–1856, Birmingham's first Member of Parliament. Fiona worked with artist Sioban Coppinger on this piece. The bronze sculpture shows Thomas Attwood, an important economist who helped with the Reform Act of 1832.

What makes this statue special is that Attwood looks like he has stepped down from his platform. He is sitting on the steps of an outdoor theater, still working. Words like "prosperity," "the vote," and "reform" are carved into the steps where he seems to have walked. His notes, scattered on the steps, are titled Votes for All, Full Employment, and Free Trade. This sculpture shows the important ideas Attwood believed in.

The sculpture was carefully moved in 2015 for safekeeping. This happened before the nearby Birmingham Central Library was taken down. The statue will return once the building work is finished.

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  Thomas Attwood, 1993: "Having left his plinth ...

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  ... and having scattered his bronze pages on the steps ...

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  ... the statue sits ..."

Royal Parks Waymarkers, 2000

These are special stone and metal markers found on the ground in London. They help guide visitors along the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Walk. Fiona created these markers with Alec Peever.

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  Waymarkers: at The Mall, London 2000 –

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  – at Green Park, 2000 –

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  – and at St James's Park, 2000

Bodleian Library Grotesques, 2007–2009

This project at the Bodleian Library in Oxford was very creative! It started with a competition called the Millennium Myths and Monsters Festival. Children designed grotesque carvings, which are often strange or funny figures. These designs were meant to replace old, worn-out carvings on the library.

Fiona and Alec Peever then carved these designs into stone. The new sculptures were placed high up on the library's cornice (a decorative ledge). There were nine winning designs, including a Wild boar, a Dodo, and characters like Tweedledum and Tweedledee and Aslan the Lion.

Isobel Hughes, who works to preserve buildings at the University of Oxford, said that these grotesques will be seen for hundreds of years. She hoped the children who designed them would bring their own children and grandchildren to see them. Alec Peever explained that the carvings were designed to look good from below, even with shadows. Dr. Sarah Thomas, a librarian, praised how well the carvers captured the charm of the children's original drawings. In 2010, Fiona and Alec received an award for their work on the grotesques.

Architectural Sculpture, Highgate Junior School, 2016

Fiona and Alec also created sculptures for the Junior department of Highgate School in London. This new building was designed with Portland stone and finished in 2016. Their sculptures included a chameleon, a centipede, and gargoyles. These designs were chosen to be fun and suitable for children. They also created a painted glass window screen for the school.