About Brown Earth Landscapes Garden Design and Landscaping Scotland

Ronald Rae (born 1946 in Ayrshire) first discovered his passion for carving granite at the age of fifteen. Now in his 60s Rae's dedication to granite remains undeterred despite the physical and mental effort that carving demands. Working intuitively, using only hand tools, he is able to convey the tenderest of feelings on to one of the hardest stones in the world.
Being born in the countryside it followed that Rae expressed his appreciation of animals through his sculpture eg. Sheep on a Crag, Boy with Calf and Heavy Horse and Foal. Aware of his Celtic heritage he thrilled at seeing Scotland's ancient carved stones that often depicted wild boars, horses and bears. He has celebrated all these animals, many of them endangered species. See the dynamic Tyger Tyger at his current exhibition. Inspiration also came from prehistoric cave art most obvious in his relief sculpture Bison. Rae's love for his country is majestically portrayed in his 20 tonne symbolic Lion of Scotland.
The pink and grey granite that Rae carves comes mainly from Kemnay and Corrennie quarries in Aberdeenshire. It is in these quarries that creativity begins for the sculptor, where he spends time seeking out the right stone - one that speaks to him. Thereafter he carves intuitively to reveal what lies within. The granite has been dated at over 460 million years. He feels it is an honour to able to carve it.
Ronald Rae's current exhibition at the Falkirk Wheel begins in March 2008. This travelling exhibition first opened in Sheffield in 1994, then moved to Milton Keynes before a major show in Regent's Park in London for three years. Thereafter the exhibition moved to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park near Wakefield for four years before returning to Scotland in 2006 to be displayed in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh. Each exhibition has varied as new sculptures were added whilst others found permanent homes often in major public and private collections. A catalogue of Rae's sculptures is obtainable through his official website.
Ronald Rae is not only a sculptor. Highly motivated he devotes every day of his life to creativity either carving granite, drawing, painting, working in mixed media or writing. He also likes to play folk instruments and listens to world music.