Eight Butterflies:(Yorkshire Sandstone) Originally from Holland, Gerrit has lived in Yorkshire for twenty years. He is self taught, and prefers to call himself a stone carver rather than a sculptor. This is not only because the sole medium he works in is stone, but also due to his craft and workmanship orientated approach. He gets satisfaction from the sweat and physical impact from working in stone, enhanced by his open air working environment. Although Gerrit would say his primary influence is that of church or ecclesiastical art -and what better place than this than Yorkshire. His Buddha's and other exotic pieces indicate a broader interest in other forms of "devotional" art as well. Gerrit does not confine himself to one distinct area and his adventurous approach has led to the creation of a highly varied body of works. The medieval flavour of much of his work is often taken over by a flight into the modern or more ancient. The low-relief carving of eight butterflies, hidden inside the circular design, signifies for me the declining number of butterflies visible in the summer. Is it the use of chemicals by the human species? Anyway, I hope this is not indicative of "Natural Selection".