A wooden carving of a bird of prey with chicks created by a prominent Keswick artist has been donated to Carlisle’s Tullie House Museum.
The intricate work was made by the late sculptor Richard Fisher and was given to the museum by his son Professor Gareth Fisher, who has exhibited with the Lakes Artists and is Assistant Dean of the School of Fine Art at the Duncan Jordanstone University of Dundee and an associate member of the Royal Scottish Academy.
As well as being a sculptor, Richard was a well-known painter, rock climber, mountain rescue pioneer and one of the longest serving members of the Lakes Artists Society. He exhibited at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour and the Bluecoat Gallery in Liverpool, as well as fulfilling many commissions.
His love of mountain climbing inspired him to become a founding member of Keswick Mountain Rescue Team in 1946 and over a period of 47 years he took an active part in numerous rescues for which he was awarded a certificate of distinguished service in the field of mountain rescue in 1987.
On leaving school, Richard served an apprenticeship at the Keswick School of Industrial Art where he learned art, metal work, silversmithing and wood carving. Examples of his church silver and carved war memorials remain in various churches and elsewhere.
After serving in the army during the Second World War – Richard took part in the first assault on ‘Sword’ beach, Normandy, with a Royal Engineers amphibious regiment which went through Europe – he returned to Keswick and set up a business in the 1960s selling arts and crafts called Fine Designs.
His eldest son Allen studied furniture design and jewellery craftsmanship at college and took over the running of the business so Richard was able to concentrate more on his wood sculptures and painting.
The museum says that it has a small sculpture collection and that this work would be an “excellent addition” and would also complement the natural science collection.
