Sophie Orde-MccGwire makes her work using traditional hand carving methods and direct carving. This is an approach to making carved sculpture where the actual process of carving suggests the final form rather than a carefully worked out preliminary model. Her work is inspired by Noguchi, Epstein and Young and the material she uses. Each stone has different properties, beauty, surface and colour and she sees her work as to bring those out and to try and keep a sense of the block of stone. Sophie won a BAFTA while working in the film and TV industry and then worked part time while simultaneously studying sculpture at the Art Students League in New York, Pietrasanta Carving School in Italy and Heatherleys College of Art in London. She now works full time as a sculptor in Dorset and is a member of the Pollen Collective.