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History: "How it all began".



“Creran Carvings” began on a bright autumn day in 1996. The year that I got married and on the day that my wife and I moved into our first home together. A first floor apartment with a small garden from which came a non-descript stone that would start it all. Used at first to prop open the back door as we moved what little possessions we had into the empty space. It quickly got promoted to keeping the thoroughly annoying, but necessary, fire door open. Seeing how useful it had become my wife jokingly suggest it stay, at which point I began to wonder if I could make it into something a little more visually appealing to the eye. Shortly afterwards I took it away and with the help of my father turned it into a painted Pictish stone, (pictured above). This I later returned to my amused wife as a gift and memento of our first day in our new home.

 

It was from that stone came the idea of carving and painting celtic and pictish artwork. At first these, such as the Aberlemno Seahorses, where only produced at the request of my wife and later for friends who took them as gifts to various locations around the world. A number of people and some business showed an interest in buying and selling these stones. However full time work and other factors prevented turning it into more than a hobby and five years would pass before I would begin to draw and carve again.

 

After ten years as a youth worker and teacher I felt that the time had arrived to seriously explore other possibilities. Then in August 2009 the opportunity to pursue the dream of selling and making the stones beckoned and with the encouragement of my wife and “Creran Carvings” was born. The stones are a labour of love that I hope will bring you pleasure should you purchase one for yourself, or as a gift for another.

 

Dänion W. Neilson-Bell

Aug 2009