Rooke Remembered (at last)

Sharon Keenan was commissioned by the Gibraltar Heritage Trust to sculpt the statue of General Sir George Rooke to mark the 300th anniversary of the capture of Gibraltar. This larger than life sculpture stands proudly at Devil's Tongue. Arthur Molinary, the most renowned medium who is a Gibraltarian, communicated with Sir George and was told that he was delighted with the statue as it is a fine likeness. En passant he mentioned that it had taken three centuries for him to be given any formal recognition on the Rock.

The General told Arthur that dur ing the unveiling ceremony he would send down a white feather as a sign of his appreciation. And loand behold a feather wafted into view and remained floating in front ofthe statue for many minutes dur ing the ceremony. The feather is clearly visible in the video of the ceremony.

Sharon is a sculptor, painter and design consultant. This multi tal ented artist started her career at the early age of three by modelling in clay;at six won a road safety poster competition and at 13 was awarded a coveted place at the Harrow Art School, followed by the Central School of Art and Design at South ampton Row in central London. By an amazing coincidence her tutor at Harrow was Theo Ramos who taught her life drawing and portrai ture. Theo,a Gibraltarian, went on to fame and fortune as a portrait artist who has painted many mem bers of the Roval Family.

In 1968 Sharon decided to turn her hand to jewellery design and went into business in East Sussex with her uncle. He specialised in sculpture whilst she concentrated on designing and making jewellery. After some time she was intro duced to sculpting and found that she loved to express herself in this medium.

Life docs not follow straight paths and in East Sussex she met Peter Proud, a prominent art direc tor, who thought that she had a natural talent to design window displavs. Ho introduced her to the Selfridges window display man ager and she was given a job on the team. Then she was asked to make the display props to go into the window and so she was able to use her talent in making these mini sculptures who were mannequins with identifiable faces and who were fashioned in different pos tures. She also made up the faces and made the wigs. This she did for two years and also freelanced for other stores.

Sharon was then introduced to the film industry and was con tracted to make the props, decora tions and to paint the portraits and paintings that would feature on the many different sets used in a film. Her brief expanded to painting por traits and sculpting heads. Her films include The Master ofthe Game, Doctor aud the Devils, The Last Days ofPompeii, Hounds ofthe Baskennlles, The Sc"(jr/t'/ Pimpernel. The Holcrofl Coi'enant. Madam Sousatska. Blame it on the Bellboy, Ellis Island and The Tenth Man.

In 1979she worked on providing graphic design for the Financial Service industry and established herself as a design consultant in fine and applied arts and in the manu facturing industry whilst at the same time carrying on with sculpt ing and portraiture. Bowater Cor poration, Loctite International, Time Assurance, Professional Ad viser Services Ltd,and the Medical Protection Society were amongst her clients.

All this variety was the best possible experience for when she set up as a sculptor, de signer and painter.

Sharon has exhibited with the Roval Academy; the Roval Society of Marine artists; the So ciety of Portrait Sculptors (award winner). Woman Art Gallery, New York; Hamilton Gallery, London (private show).

Another string to her bow is sculpting children and animals which can be displayed in a garden.

Her public commissions include work for the City of London, Kilmamock City Council and the Territorial Army.

Sharon has pro vided portrait sculpture for the City of London, the Hague, Madame Tussaud, Vaux-le-Vicomte, the London Pal ladium, Museum of Moving Image and Hever Castle.

This is the pedigree of the artist responsible for the fine statue of Admiral Sir George Rooke. She considers it to be her most success ful work of art to date better even than the sculpted head of Mickey Steel Bodger which can be seen at the East India Club in St James' Square. Should any reader wish to contact Sharon her tel ephone and fax is 0044 207221 9074

by Alan Gravett