Biography
ABOUT THE ARTIST :
Instagram – @ianbellcreations
With an engineering background and working in a variety of fields including shipbuilding, opal cutting and at ski resorts. A creative outlet prior to woodcarving was painting. He initially learnt woodturning and furniture design in Tasmania (Associate diploma art craft and design) 1995-96. This was an introduction to a whole new creative field. Attending a woodcarving course in 2001 at Sturt in the NSW southern highlands was a life changing experience, the lathe abandoned in favour of a more free-form approach. A combination of this approach with discipline, hard work and learning to trust the inner artist hopefully equates to a resolution of shape and overall originality “Over the years a trusted friend and mentor in Tasmania taught me, amongst other things, the importance of trusting my inner artist and to follow your heart”.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
The King & Queen of Spain ( Gift of the governor-general of Australia)
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2023
~ Flight of fancy feathers, Bungendore woodworks Gallery, NSW, Australia
~ The art of giving, Wood Symphony, CA, USA
~Turned and sculpted wood, Wood Symphony, CA, USA
2022
~The art of giving, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
~Small treasures, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
~Turned and sculpted wood, Wood Symphony, CA, USA
2021
~Turned and sculpted wood, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
~Celebrating sculpture, Bungendore woodworks gallery, NSW, Australia
2020
- The Art of giving, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Solo Exhibition, Woodworks Gallery, Bungendore, NSW, Australia
- Small Treasures, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Inside the box, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Turned and Sculpted Wood, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2019
- The Art of Giving, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Small Treasures, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Sculpture at Killalea, Shellharbour, NSW, Australia
- Kangaroo valley sculpture, The Cedars, Kangaroo valley, NSW, Australia
- Inside the box, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Turned and Sculpted wood, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Immersion, Emirates One & Only, Wolgan valley, NSW, Australia
2018
Studio furniture 2018, Bungendore woodworks gallery, NSW, Australia
- Valley Reflections, Emirates One & Only, Wolgan valley, NSW, Australia
- Turned and Sculpted wood, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Sculpture at Killalea, Shellharbour, NSW, Australia
- Small treasures, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Inside the box, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- The art of giving, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2017
- Rylstone Wood Sculpture Symposium, Rylstone, NSW, Australia
- X1 FIP World Polo Championships art exhibition, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Sculpture at Killalea, NSW, Australia
- Sculpture at Kooindah, Kooindah Golf Resort, Wyong, NSW, Australia
- Sculpture at Kangaroo Valley, The Cedars, Kangaroo Valley, NSW, Australia
- Turned Wood Small Treasures, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2016
- ‘ONE’, solo exhibition, Gallery 47, Rylstone, NSW, Australia
- Turned and Sculpted wood, Wood symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Sculptures at Killalea, NSW, Australia
- Sculpture on the greens, Wyong, NSW, Australia
- Toorak Village Sculpture Exhibition, Toorak, VIC, Australia
2015
- Wood Sculpture symposium, Rylstone, NSW, Australia
- Turned and Sculpted Wood, delMano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- The Out back open art prize, Broken Hill regional gallery, NSW, Australia
- Turned Wood-Small Treasures( spring) ,delMano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA,USA
2014
- Turned and Sculpted Wood, delMano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2013
- Turned Wood-Small Treasures (fall’13),delMano gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Turned Wood-Small Treasures (spring’13),delMano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2012
- Directors Choice, Bungendore Woodworks Gallery, NSW, Australia
- Transformations, Riddoch Gallery, Mt Gambier, SA, Australia
2011
- Turned and Sculpted Wood, delMano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Turned Wood-Small Treasures, delMano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2010
- Studio Furniture twenty ten, Bungendore Woodworks Gallery, NSW, Australia
2007
- 30th Alice Craft Acquisition, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs, NT, Australia