Nicola Godden was given her first commission by the landscape garden designer Roddy Lewellyn. The bronze was featured in his book 'Beautiful Backyards'. Since then, she has created many large commissions including the twice life-sized Hammersmith Man figure which was unveiled by George Melly in 1987 and the Peter Scott memorial sculpture for The Wildfowl and Wetlands site at Barnes, which was commissioned by Berkeley Homes and was unveiled by David Attenborough in 2000. Her sculpture of 'Icarus' was featured in the Athlete's Village of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Godden has been producing figurative sculpture, in bronze, for over 30 years. She spent her childhood in Cyprus, Kenya and Singapore where the feeling of space, light and freedom never left her. She studied for a BA Honours degree in sculpture, and was elected a member of The Royal Society of Sculptors in 1993.
Although Godden's work has changed enormously over time, her work is nearly always based on the human figure, whether in an abstracted form or in a realistic way. She has always wanted to work from the human form because of the feelings and emotions it conveys. The work is usually about movement and light and the beauty of the human form.
Inspiration can come from anywhere. It can come from a piece of flint or bone found while out walking or from a dream, mythology or something briefly half seen while travelling somewhere. 'I work in clay or plaster because it is fast and I like to get the ideas out quickly. I rarely draw before working as I like to keep the spontaneity and get ideas as I work'.
For some years now Nicola has been excited by the mythological figure of Icarus and has produced a series of 'Icarus' pieces. This series began soon after Godden started learning how to fly.
Over the years she has worked on many site-specific public works, and is in many important private collections in the UK and USA.
Nicola's largest sculpture to date Icarus Rising standing at 5m tall is now sited in the formal gardens, where you can walk through the wings.