He needed someone to help him clean his studio and tidy up and I was available. I remember his studio being beautiful - an old church building I believe - and it was full of his sculptures and large framed monochrome drawings. The ceiling must have been about 30 feet above my head and there was a massive abstract steel sculpture dominating the hall with plenty of smaller steel and wooden sculptures in various stages of completion dotted about. He also had a classic car (Mercedes I think) parked in it.
I think he's got to that stage in his career that we all dream about - paid handsomely to do something that he loves doing.
The piece that he talks about in the film, Like Thunder, is one that I might have helped him with by sanding down the surfaces prior to the polish being applied. Or it might not be. I remember there being about 10-15 similar pieces with slight variations with this being the biggest. It looked like the physical embodiment of a train of thought.
What you don't get from the film is the smell - and it's a smell that I love. It's paint, wood, metal, polish and dust. It's the smell of a lifetime of making things. It's probably the sweet smell of success.
Link here: Nigel Hall interview
