Liz Mangles

Liz trained for five years as a rocking horse maker, before moving to the more demanding field of fairground carving. She sculpts English lime wood with traditional tools to create her distinctive lively designs. A love of horses gives her work a feeling of vitality and movement.

In 1989 she carved 24 large horses for a restored 1884 steam galloper. Since then she has carved many other fairground animals including reindeer, cockerels, sheep, rabbits, dolphins, sea lions and hippocampi.  In 1998 she was featured on Channel 4's "Collector's Lot", making a camel for a stately home in Shropshire.

Other work includes mirror frames, bed headboards, wall plaques and newel posts, often using the luxurious flowers and foliage seen on fairground art.

Recently she has created several story chairs for schools, involving the children at every level from choosing a theme,watching the chair being carved on site and even giving every child the chance to have a go with a chisel themselves - in a very controlled fashion!

Liz's work has featured in many exhibitions over the years and can now be seen at the home gallery of the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen at Yandles in Martock.