I have just been to Lincolnshire to look for local stone for carving Our Lady of Lincoln – commissioned for the chapel at the east end of the famous Lincoln Cathedral. The illustration shows the half size maquette for the work.

Although it is not usual for the Orthodox Church to use three dimensional imagery, there is a strong tradition in Western Christendom. In this work I am trying to make the sculpture act like an icon, so that people are led through it to the Mother of God. To this end I have drawn on the rich tradition of Romanesque art. To my mind this period is the most advanced in the history of western in producing effective iconographic imagery. Drawing on this tradition will also help to integrate the work into the cathedral, which is a Romanesque creation.