Kathleen Minton is the artist behind the ‘Spirit of the Green Man Studio,’ a shop situated in Tintern, selling a large selection of her hand made Green Men, Hares and other mystical sculptures, as well as a wide range of unusual gifts.

Kathleen said: “I was born in Yorkshire, moved to Wales in my mid twenties and fell in love with the landscape and people of the area. I married a local man and have five sons.

“I started sculpting the green man, as I have from a young age, been fascinated and drawn in by ancient folklore, particularly the legends of the green man and the ancient welsh tales of the Mabinogion.  I was given a green man as a gift and for many years it travelled with me and seemed to act as a bringer of luck and as a guardian.

“One day I felt inspired by this green man to sculpt one myself and things developed from there.

“I studied art at school and experimented with various medium before being led to the green man.

“The process of creating a green man often starts with an inspired idea, then sketched and worked from that in clay and wax until I am happy with the finished result.

“People come to our shop from many miles away, some  who have gone through trauma in their lives and they feel that having a green man close to them in their homes and gardens brings them inner peace.

“Also people see the green man as a symbol of protection of the environment, particularly  the woods and forests and are concerned to preserve what is left of this.

“Spirit of the Green Man started when I first made a few little sculptures and sold them at local craft fayres.  Before long I was being contacted by people wanting more and it has taken off from there.

“We now are very busy with our website www.spiritofthegreenman.com and sell the largest range of hand made green men in the country.

“I started the studio several years ago and many people who visit compliment us on the energy and tranquillity of the shop and they spend lots of time browsing, we increasingly find that we are having a lot of overseas visitors, indeed we had a couple come to see us from New Zealand. 

“We also provide other local artists and crafters with the opportunity to display their works in our studio.

“The studio specialises in my Green Man sculptures, together with an extensive range of other hand made mystical  sculptures, a special favourite for people is my Moon Gazing Hare range.  There is also the woodland section at the back of the shop which is a favourite with a lot of children.

“I make the sculptures using a very special Marble Mixture which provides a very detailed and durable finish, each one is meticulously hand painted, glazed to give you a sculpture, that whatever the weather, will last a lifetime. At the same time I try to offer excellent value for money.

“We would love to see you at the studio, where you will receive a warm green man welcome.”