Joss Taylor sculpture to be auctioned off for Mountain Rescue Team
He passed away earlier this year
In 2008 renowned Cumbrian born professional sculptor Paul Bainbridge created two bronze resin sculptures of the head of fell running legend Joss Naylor to celebrate Joss’s achievement of running 70 Lake District fells on his 70th birthday.
One of the sculptures was purchased by Copeland Council to take a place of honour in The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven. The other sculpture was retained by Paul who, on hearing the sad news of the death of Joss, has donated the second sculpture to raise money for Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team.
Joss was the Honorary Vice President of the team and officially opened the team’s new base outside Gosforth in 2018 and as you would expect Joss conducted the ribbon cutting ceremony in his own unique style using sheep shearers and baler twine.
Mitchell's Auction Company of Cockermouth have agreed to do a charity auction for the sculpture in their Antiques and Fine Art sale on 11th,12th and 13th September 2024, the details of which can be found online closer to the auction date.
Paul Bainbridge
Born in Egremont, Cumbria, sculptor Paul Bainbridge studied at Carlisle College of Art and then went on to train as a teacher at Hornsey College of Art.
Paul was then involved in art education for 25 years, becoming Head of Art at Hadham Hall School in Hertfordshire.
In 1990 he became a freelance portrait sculptor with Mme. Tussaud’s where he spent 12 years creating wax sculptures of many famous people, leaving in 2002 to focus his attention on creating his own sculptures, most of which are concerned with the human face or figure.
He was elected to membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, as it was then, in 1993.