Matriarch

When I was looking for inspiration for a new elephant design I looked east towards Bangkok.
This year the Elephant Parade will hold it's first parade in Thailand, the spiritual home of the parade, which was founded in 2006 by father and son Marc and Mike Spits. Whilst on holiday in Thailand, Marc met a baby elephant named Mosha, who had lost her leg after stepping on a landmine. Mosha inspired Marc and Mike to create Elephant Parade. 

The name of my elephant Matriarch is for mothers and female strength, the eldest female in a family group of elephants is known as the matriarch. So I named her for little Mosha, all female elephants and strong women everywhere.

One of the most important actions of Asian elephant conservation is to preserve their natural habitat, so I wanted to incorporate that idea. I therefore drew trees rising out of the city. I decided to paint the trees gold to symbolise the hope, energy, support and money coming from the city, with the leaves green to show the aim to preserve the natural habitat of Thailand. I chose to use a rich colour palette so depicted the city at night with a bright sunset. The hearts are simply a symbol of love for elephants.

Bangkok is visually a city of contrasts, magnificent ancient stone temples and soaring modern skyscrapers. It attracts nearly 16 million visitors a year. It's very special that the capital city is supporting the parade to help the endangered Asian elephant, which is also Thailand's' national symbol.

You can vote for Matriarch in the Artbox contest to become part of the Bangkok Parade HERE

My elephant in Elephant parade artbox contest final!

I'm absolutely delighted that my design 'Matriarch' has been short listed in the Elephant Parade Artbox Contest! Details on where to vote are below.

More than 500 designs painted on the little elephants were entered and 10 have been chosen by the judges for the short list which Elephant Parade fans can vote on via the Facebook page.

The winner of the contest has their design scaled up to a life sized elephant to become part of the Bangkok Parade, and wins a trip to see the launch.The Bangkok Parade presented by Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spa's will see 99 life sized elephant sculptures visit the streets of the city for 3 months, culminating in a gala charity auction to raise funds for the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation.

The matriarch is the eldest female in a family group of elephants, the national symbol of Thailand.

My design is inspired by Bangkok, the vibrant modern city with beautiful historic temples, which is supporting the Asian elephant population through the Elephant Parade. Created by love in the form of the hearts, the awareness, support and funds raised by the Elephant Parade, are symbolised by the gold trees rising out of the city, they help protect Thailand's natural habitat, symbolised by the green leaves on the end of the branches.

It would be fantastic to see Matriarch become part of the Bangkok Parade, you can vote for her on Facebook here

Good luck little ele!

London Road Bath Regeneration Project Update

It was very exciting to see the planters arriving on site yesterday.

Last year after input from the community, which was facilitated by Haiku and Renga poetry specialists With Words and some fun research into the history of the area, I created designs for tree planters and tree grilles. They are part of the regeneration work to enhance the public spaces and help green up the Snow Hill area of London Road.

The designs have been laser cut onto CorTen steel by Streetlife. CorTen steel has a stainless core with a thin outside layer which rusts over time creating an organic looking and warm surface colour. Depending on the weather, the planters should start to change colour within 2 or 3 weeks.

The central island will have small leaved Lime trees 'Tilia Cordata' planted in pits over which the grilles will sit, allowing rain to reach the roots. The planters will hold Amelanchier trees 'Snowy mespil' with 'Sempervivum' and 'Allium' around the base, and variegated ivy trailing down the two plain sides.

I can't wait to see the work completed and the area really come to life!

Year of the Bus Family Fun Weekend

To celebrate the end of the Year of the Bus Sculpture Trail, Transport for London  have organised a Family Fun Weekend in the Queen Elizabeth Park where all 60 decorated bus sculptures are on view before they are auctioned for charity.

There will be free family activities , art and music workshops and live music.

Open from 10am-4pm on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th January.

For more information visit TfL

Pre auction bidding on the bus sculptures, has started online at www.I-bidder.com/yearofthebus

Proceeds of the auction will go to Kidscompany, Transaid and the London Transport Museum

Year of the bus update

The Year of the Bus sculpture trail was launched last month with a spectacular display of decorated buses in Trafalgar square. The 60 buses all individually designed by artists, now form 3 trails in the capital, in Westminster, by the river and at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Organised by Wild in Art and Transport for London,  the project celebrates 60 years of the routemaster bus. The buses will be auctioned to raise money for 3 charities, Kids Company, Transaid and the London Transport Museum.

My 'Brollybus' inspired by the iconic London Transport posters of the past, and featuring St Paul's Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge to represent the past and the present, is situated by the Millennium Bridge on Bankside, near the Tate Modern.

More information can be found at Transport for London 

Farewell to the Hares

FAREWELL TO THE HARES & THE GALA AUCTION

Arrangements for the end of the Festival

13th September – “A Concert for the Hares” by the Corinium Players Guitar Ensemble
8pm in the Parish Church. Tickets (£10) from the Visitor Information Centre in the Corinium Museum

14th September – “A Blessing of the Hares” in the Parish Church.Service starts 6pm. Open to the public.Therefore, from the 12th of Sept we will begin to gather in all the hares and we intend to have as many hares as we can in the Parish Church for these two events

27th September – 3rd October – “Farewell to the Hares & Gala Auction Preview”Open to the public with small charge with Free access to Auction ticket holders.
The Assembly Rooms will be open from 10am to 4:30pm (TBC)

4th October – Gala Auction in the Assembly Rooms, Kings Head Hotel from 6pm.
This is a ticketed event so for details of how to register for the auction, secure a ticket and obtain a copy of the ‘The Little Book of Hares’ (Auction Catalogue) please email cirencesterharefest@gmail.com and we will send you details.

Year of the Bus

It's been a very busy year for me with public art projects. After painting half a dozen hares and a book bench I was lucky to get the opportunity to paint a bus for another fantastic Wild in Art project.

They are working with Transport for London and the London Transport Museum to bring 60 of the 8ft long bus sculptures to the streets of London in the autumn. 2014 has been designated the 'Year of the Bus' to celebrate 60 years since the creation of the first Routemaster. The sculptures are based on the new Routemaster bus which was launched earlier this year.



My design was inspired by some of the iconic London Transport posters of the past, which featured decorative umbrellas. The 'Brolly Bus' has 56 ( I think!) colourful umbrellas against a sunshine and showers rainbow sky and autumn leaves. Old London is represented by St Paul's Cathedral and new London by the Millennium Bridge.

The sculptures will be auctioned at the end of the year to raise money for charities Kids Company and Transaid and the London Transport Museum.