I read “The Wind in the Willows” over 10 years ago, and yet it was only in the last couple of years that I started to move it into sculpture.

Moving an image into sculpture has always been a long journey of exploration for me.

For any sculpture, it starts with a lot of looking, and even more reading.

Once I feel that I had an idea of what I want the sculpture to be, I draw up a rough idea of the sculpture and pick the steel elements.

I then start to build the character, stopping only occasionally to refer to source materials to validate that an idea was true to the subject.

All the while, I draw.

Making sculpture is a journey of discovery, as was Mole's move to the riverbank. On Mole's journey, he introduces us to a host of characters, including Mr. Toad.

My preoccupation has always been with Mole, who is an unassuming character, yet the narrative thread of “The Wind in the Willows.” He was the first sculpture completed.

This, Toad, is the second sculpture in the series.

Toad is the opposite of mole, being bombastic and arrogant. The piece is based on the time when he first encounters a car, and having been dislodged from his wagon, sits in the middle of the road, somewhat despondent “At intervals he was still heard to murmur “Poop-poop!” Interestingly, this is one of the few scenes that appear in all of “The Wind in the Willows” movies, being the commencement for Toad's adventure in mischief.