I remember breathless joy when I heard I had been accepted by the Royal Society of Sculptors in 2002 and then heart stopping fright going to the first AGM all those years ago.
Mary Anstee-Parry MRSS, February 2026
I studied sculpture at the Norwich School of Art and Design and later went to the City and Guilds of London art school and have since been made a notable alumni. This sculptural career has given me the opportunity to take on commissions both in lettering and sculpture. I have taught traditional woodcarving and letter carving both at colleges and privately. I have worked with Guildford Borough Council carving two signposts to highlight two areas of Special scientific interest on the River Wey. An Epiphany Madonna for St. Edmundsbury Cathedral and a Millennium sculpture trail for a National Nature Reserve are two other memorable commissions.
In the past I have worked primarily as a carver in stone and wood and for the last two years I have worked on a series of very traditional oak panels for a private client but In the gaps of time between working on these commissions and as antidote to this extensive carving of wood I have experimented with more ephemeral materials such as copper, fabric and paper.
Ahead of the Year of the Home in 2026 when we celebrate the Society's 50 years at Dora House, we asked members to share with us their personal memories of Dora House. We will be sharing them throughout 2026 as part of a programme of this milestone, marked also by the delivery of our project Creating a Home for Sculptors. If you have a memory you would like to share, you can still do so via this link.
