ARTIST CARVES ST BARTHOLOMEW'S FROM A GRAIN OF SAND

A TALENTED MICRO-SCULPTOR HAS PROVEN YOU REALLY CAN SEE THE WORLD IN A GRAIN OF SAND, AFTER CARVING AN INTRICATELY DETAILED CHURCH FROM A SINGLE GRANULE THAT FITS INSIDE THE EYE OF A NEEDLE. WILLIAM WIGAN HAS MADE A NAME FOR HIMSELF BY SCULPTING TINY RECREATIONS OF EVERYTHING FROM BARACK OBAMA AND HIS FAMILY, TO NEIL ARMSTRONG ON THE MOON'S SURFACE. HE WAS CHALLENGED BY HIS GIRLFRIEND WHO LIVES AT THE FOOT OF CHOSEN HILL IN CHURCHDOWN, NEAR GLOUCESTER, TO SCULPT THE HILLTOP PARISH CHURCH ST BARTHOLOMEW'S. 'I LOOKED AT THE CHURCH AND THOUGHT IT WAS WONDERFUL', WILLARD SAID. 'IT TOOK ABOUT SIX WEEKS AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE I HAD TO GET MY PROPORTIONS RIGHT.' WILLARD USES TINY SHARDS OF GLASS STUCK TO A NEEDLE, AND A BRUSH MADE FROM ONE OF HIS EYELASHES TO CREATE HIS MINUTE MASTERPIECES. 'IF I MADE A MISTAKE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO FIX. I WANTED TO PUT IN AS MUCH DETAIL AS I POSSIBLY COULD. I PUT IN SOME STAINED GLASS WINDOWS. THE WHOLE SCULPTURE IS THE SIZE OF A FULL STOP IN A NEWSPAPER. IT'S QUITE PAINSTAKING, IN FACT IT WAS DRIVING ME INSANE. WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON SOMETHING SO SMALL IT CAUSES A PROBLEM IF YOU APPLY TOO MUCH PRESSURE. AND I'VE MADE THINGS SO SMALL IN THE PAST THAT I'VE SOMETIMES INHALED THEM.' WILLARD SAYS WORK OF THIS SCALE IS HIS PASSION AND HOPES TO ARRANGE AN EXHIBITION IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE IN THE FUTURE.