In this sculpture Rae tackles subjects dear to him. On one side of the stone the cross relates to his Celtic roots. On the other side, one of the smallest forms of life, the insect, is presented just as large to show respect for life no matter how insignificant it might seem. Purchased from the exhibition at Sheffield by Centro.
Granite: 4x9x5ft 5.00 tons. Location: Victoria Quays, Sheffield. Sold.
Sacred Cow
Through this work Rae shows his love and concern for all creatures – not only the cow is sacred.
The sculpture was chosen by ballot from the exhibition by the schools and purchased by the Sheffield Development Corporation following the Ronald Rae Sculpture Exhibition at Nunnery Square, Sheffield in 1994. Rae gave a talk to the school children and in return received hundreds of letters and drawings of the sculptures from the pupils which he treasures to this day.
Carved in Dalbeattie granite, which is geologically a very interesting stone because of its varied colours, this work was inspired by cave art at Lascaux in France. The head is carved in deep relief whilst the body is etched on to the stone leaving much of the natural stone uncarved, allowing the stone to speak. Sited in a field with the cattle around it, is a perfect setting for this rugged work.
Ronald Rae has had the support of Cramond Kirk since 1989, providing him with an area to work in their grounds. Rae was delighted when he was asked to carve a sculpture to celebrate the new Millennium Kirk Hall.
“The ancient Christian symbol of the fish, Ronald Rae’s generous gift to the hall, provides an ideal focal point for the gathering area.” – the Rev Dr Russell Barr.
Granite: 5x5x5ft 5.00 tons. Location: Dormston Art Centre, Sedgley. Sold.
Elephant and Rhino
This imposing sculpture carved from a rough granite boulder depicts two endangered species, one metamorphosing into the other. This pic shows the side with the elephant.
Sited at the entrance to the Dormston Art Centre, Rae took it as a compliment when he discovered that the lounge bar in the Centre is named after his sculpture – The Elephant and Rhino.
Granite: 5x10x5ft 10.00 tons. Location: Isle of Eriska, Argyll. Sold.
Highland Cow
Carved expressively this powerful sculpture is the very essence a highland cow, bulky and brooding with huge horns and rhythmic hair covering its eyes.
Rae has taken the stereotypical image of the highland cow seen so often in art, and revitalised it in granite. The sculpture is sited on the Isle of Eriska and has two permanent friends – namely the resident donkeys that enjoy rubbing against the granite!
To see a short video about this sculpture go to Latest News on Video at the right hand column of this page and click on Ronald Rae with his sculptures on the Isle of Eriska.
Hand-carved granite sculptures in public and private collections