Kevin’s sun dial shows Teesside's time

A long held vision to pursue a passion for the arts led Teesside University BA (Hons) Fine Art student Kevin Twidale on a six-year journey to a degree.

Kevin, 51, has been self-employed for 18 years. He completed his degree part-time over six years, juggling study with work for a double glazing company.

He returned to education eight years ago, when he completed a sculpture course at Cleveland College of Art and Design before progressing to the degree at Teesside.

Now his work – a hand carved sun dial – can be seen near the campus buildings off St Edward’s Square, where it will remain until August.

Interested in art since my youth The Normanby dad-of-two said: 'I’ve been interested in art since my youth, but being a steelmaker’s son I wasn’t really expected to do anything else other than go into the same type of work. But having reached a point in my life where I’d worked for years and had a family, I started to think more about what I wanted to do.'

His design for the sun dial relates to ideas about how fast time passes us by. Kevin said: 'The sun dial reflects the working day and is a reminder of how short life is and that we only get one life.'

The sun dial is in six pieces – comprising five blocks of hand-carved cherry wood positioned around a 4.5 metre tall oak gnomon, which acts as the sun dial’s pointer.

Along with designing, creating and physically installing the sun dial, Kevin painstakingly worked out the exact positioning of each part.

He said: 'I really enjoyed carving the wood using traditional sculptural skills, which I feel is important. Working out where each piece needed to go was a major exercise in mathematics.'

Kevin added: 'As a part-time student you really need the desire to want to do it, but it is rewarding, especially when it enables you to follow your dreams. I really enjoyed my time at the University, the standard of the teaching staff is second to none.'

His sun dial is part of the Fine Art Exhibition which is on display in the University’s Athena Building, Woodlands Road and the Constantine Building until Friday 5 June. The exhibition is free and is open to the public from 10.00am to 4.00pm daily.

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