ABOUT THE ARTIST :

Instagram – @ianbellcreations

With an engineering background and working in a variety of fields including shipbuilding, opal cutting and at ski resorts. A creative outlet prior to woodcarving was painting. He initially learnt woodturning and furniture design in Tasmania (Associate diploma art craft and design) 1995-96. This was an introduction to a whole new creative field. Attending a woodcarving course in 2001 at Sturt in the NSW southern highlands was a life changing experience, the lathe abandoned in favour of a more free-form approach. A combination of this approach with discipline, hard work and learning to trust the inner artist hopefully equates to a resolution of shape and overall originality  “Over the years a trusted friend and mentor in Tasmania taught me, amongst other things, the importance of trusting my inner artist and to follow your heart”.

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

The King & Queen of Spain ( Gift of the governor-general of Australia)

Riddoch arts and cultural centre, Mt Gambier, SA, Australia

The Alice art prize collection, Alice Springs, NT, Australia

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Craft Arts International, Vol. 74

Australian wood review, Vol. 118

Studio Furniture 2010, Canberra

Studio Furniture 2018, Canberra

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2025

  • Spirit of timber, Solo show, Milk Factory gallery, NSW, Australia
  • Small treasures, Wood Symphony, CA, USA
  • Turned and sculpted wood, Wood Symphony, CA, USA
  • Inside the box, Wood Symphony, CA, USA

2024

  • The art of making, SWA member Exhibition, Sydney, Australia
  • The art of giving, Wood Symphony, CA, USA
  • Small treasures, Wood Symphony, CA, USA
  • Turned and sculpted wood, Wood Symphony, CA, USA

2023

  • Flight of fancy feathers, Bungendore woodworks Gallery, NSW, Australia
  • The art of giving, Wood Symphony, CA, USA
  • Turned and sculpted wood, Wood Symphony, CA, USA

2022

  • The art of giving, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Small treasures, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Turned and sculpted wood, Wood Symphony, CA, USA

2021

  • Tuned and sculpted wood, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Celebrating sculpture, Bungendore woodworks gallery, NSW, Australia
2020
  • The Art of giving, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Solo Exhibition, Woodworks Gallery, Bungendore, NSW, Australia
  • Small Treasures, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Inside the box, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Turned and Sculpted Wood, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2019
  • The Art of Giving, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Small Treasures, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Sculpture at Killalea, Shellharbour, NSW, Australia
  • Kangaroo valley sculpture, The Cedars, Kangaroo valley, NSW, Australia
  • Inside the box, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Turned and Sculpted wood, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Immersion, Emirates One & Only, Wolgan valley, NSW, Australia
2018
  • Studio furniture 2018, Bungendore woodworks gallery, NSW, Australia
  • Valley Reflections, Emirates One & Only, Wolgan valley, NSW, Australia
  • Turned and Sculpted wood, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Sculpture at Killalea, Shellharbour, NSW, Australia
  • Small treasures, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Inside the box, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • The art of giving, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2017
  • Rylstone Wood Sculpture Symposium, Rylstone, NSW, Australia
  • X1 FIP World Polo Championships art exhibition, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • Sculpture at Killalea, NSW, Australia
  • Sculpture at Kooindah, Kooindah Golf Resort, Wyong, NSW, Australia
  • Sculpture at Kangaroo Valley, The Cedars, Kangaroo Valley, NSW, Australia
  • Turned Wood Small Treasures, Wood Symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2016
  • ‘ONE’, solo exhibition, Gallery 47, Rylstone, NSW, Australia
  • Turned and Sculpted wood, Wood symphony, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Sculptures at Killalea, NSW, Australia
  • Sculpture on the greens, Wyong, NSW, Australia
  • Toorak Village Sculpture Exhibition, Toorak, VIC, Australia
2015
  • Wood Sculpture symposium, Rylstone, NSW, Australia
  • Turned and Sculpted Wood, delMano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • The Out back open art prize, Broken Hill regional gallery, NSW, Australia
  • Turned Wood-Small Treasures( spring) ,delMano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA,USA
2014
  • Turned and Sculpted Wood, delMano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2013
  • Turned Wood-Small Treasures (fall’13),delMano gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Turned Wood-Small Treasures (spring’13),delMano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2012
  • Directors Choice, Bungendore Woodworks Gallery, NSW, Australia
  • Transformations, Riddoch Gallery, Mt Gambier, SA, Australia
2011
  • Turned and Sculpted Wood, delMano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • Turned Wood-Small Treasures, delMano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA
2010
  • Studio Furniture twenty ten, Bungendore Woodworks Gallery, NSW, Australia
2007
  • 30th Alice Craft Acquisition, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs, NT, Australia