Well known master woodcarver and sculpter John 'Ernie' Warren was born in
Blyth, Northumberland in 1943.
At the age of fifteen, John Ernest Warren started
his apprenticeship with 'Ralph Hedley Ltd' for three years he served his time under the watchful eye of Roger Hedley, son of the Famous Tyneside Painter and Woodcarver, Ralph Hedley. The studio had not changed in one hundred years, the workshop was ill equipped, it had no running water or electricity and Roger Hedley would not condone their introduction. He was opposed to the idea of wood working machinery and would not allow them to be brought into the trade.
John had to learn his craft in the old way, starting with a solid block of wood, carving by hand until the particular piece had been completed. It had then to be polished with bees wax, all of which took hours of preparing.. In the studio he had to learn the art of making tools to his own specification as each individual wood-carver is different in style. In 1961 Roger Hedley closed the studio and went into retiremert at the age of 77. John stayed on at the studio until everthing was wound up, thus becomming the last apprentice from the Ralph Hedley Studio.
John learned his craft well, which can bee seen in his works of art, he has carved water fonts for St Wilfreds Church, a plaque for Blyth St Wilfreds Senior School as well as a carved deed box for the 13th Squadron of the Royal Air Force.
John's Carvings are Unique, as each one is a one off, no two carvings are the same. This makes his Carvings much saught after items. The Jewelry boxes are in great demand esp in Northumberland, because each individual box has it's own secret compartment. When each box is completed the client is given a sealed envelope with instructions to the whereabouts of the secret compartment, which only the client and the craftsman knows. John carves only a few boxes per year, but the waiting list grows by the week. Some clients are even prepared to wait upto three years for a box.Each box can take from two weeks up to six months to carve, depending on the size and design of the carving. All boxes are polished with bees wax in the old style. John can often be seen giving young and old alike lessons in woodcarving and is often on the podium in woodcarving competitions, his exhibitions are always in demand. Have a look at some of his works and mail now with your order or your custom design for your chance to buy a piece of history and craftsmenship.
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