The Kingfisher Waterfall – Lamport Hall Award

Sculptress Joel was awarded the Lamport Hall Preservation Trust Bursary as part of the 2024 Northants and Rutland Open Studios.

On Show at Lamport Central Exhibition for Northants and Rutland Central Exhibition Selection September 2026.

Partnering with Historic Firm’s Expertise

The award enabled me to seek the help and expertise of the long established foundry G.W. Lunt in Birmingham. The skilled artisans of this company have particular techniques to achieve the colour patination to lift the visual appearance of my bronze Kingfishers. Work unfolded during 2025 and was planned for the September 2026 Lamport Hall Central Exhibition.

It was a great experience designing the Kingfisher waterfall, making the feature to fit and watching the patinator at work using heat and chemicals to colour the bronze and transform its appearance.

I am very grateful to Lamport Hall Preservation Trust for enabling me to access the extra expertise of the historic foundry in Birmingham and to help facilitate the extra work involved to make possible this artwork to celebrate a British bird species.

Lamport Hall Bursary Award Design Process

The Marvellous Transformation with Heat and Chemicals

Unique Slate base, Fused Glass and Resin

To make a dramatic feature for an interior design I needed to achieve the look of sparkling water, overflowing over the rock. To do this I used a combination of fused glass and pouring resin. So you can have a celebration of these special aquatic birds, the look of falling water and no mess or plumbing!

It was a great challenge to work with these materials and keep the design and colourways consistant.

Kingfisher Waterfall – the Water Creation Process

All these stages take many hours and days to make the fused glass pieces and add the layers of resin. I used a little coloured resin to echo the tones of the Kingfishers. Also there is a gleam of orange fused glass as a reflection of the orange of the chests of the birds

I love the form and the greys of the Welsh slate , and the uniqueness of it and its own story.

Kingfisher Waterfall Sculpture Featured at the Northants and Rutland Open Studios Central Exhibition at Lamport Hall September 2026

Come along and see this Award winning project along with the finest show of Art in the region. You can explore all the activities and schedule at the NROS site .