1941 -

Sculptor. Born in Sarny, Poland, Pytel studied graphic design at Hereford College of Art (1956--61). Working first as an illustrator for a book publisher in London, he moved to Hereford in 1962 and opened two commercial art studios there, turning to sculpture in 1965. He first made models in metal and subsequently taught himself welding. Pytel’s welded metal sculptures consist mainly of birds, animals and heraldic beasts. His most important commissions include Woodpecker, H.P. Bulmer’s, Hereford (1969); the Silver Jubilee Monument, Parliament Square, London (1977); The Fossor, JCB Factory, Rocester, Staffordshire (1979); the Planet Walk Sculptures, Tamworth (2000); the Hawkesbury Gateway feature, Coventry Canal (2000); and Dragonfly and Butterfly, Bristol (2000). His exhibitions include the RSPB Centenary Exhibition, Walsall Museum and Art Gallery (1989); and those of the Society of Wildlife Artists, Mall Galleries, London (1989--93). He is a member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, and has works in private collections in Britain, Europe, the USA, Australia and Canada.