'Love Song' for the Singapore Elephant Parade, work in progress.

My latest elephant 'Love Song' had to share the studio with my gorilla 'Blackbeard Silverback' for a couple of weeks in the summer, who has now happily found a wonderful new home after the 'Wow Gorillas' Auction recently which raised a massive total of £427,000. A huge thank you to the lovely family who so generously donated £10,000 to buy him, which goes to support two charities, Gorilla conservation and 'Wallace & Gromit's Grand Appeal'.

The Singapore Elephant Parade goes out in public in a couple of weeks. Here are some photos of the work in progress. I chose to use mainly Asian birds in the design to highlight the need to conserve the Asian habitat to help save Asian Elephants, but couldn't resist including a few of the tropical African birds they also have at the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore...like the Lovebirds who inspired the name of my elephant!

http://elephantparade.com/cities/singapore-2011

Blackbeard Silverback to follow in Roselephant's footsteps

Today I gave 'Blackbeard Silverback' a wash and brush up before he follows in Roselephant's footsteps to visit London. He'll be going with some of his friends to spend the week near Tower Bridge and City Hall on the Southbank from 16th- 22nd Sept.http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/popular-gorilla-army-descends-on-london

All 61 gorillas will then be displayed at Bristol Zoo from 24th-28th Sept before they are auctioned on 29th Sept. http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/goodbye-gorillas

Money raised at the auction will go to support vital gorilla conservation work and local charity 'Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal'.

If you missed David Attenborough's fantastic programme 'Gorillas Revisted a few days ago, catch it on iplayer ....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0074sfp/Gorillas_Revisited_with_Sir_David_Attenborough/

Wow Gorillas out in Bristol

'Blackbeard Silverback' was unveiled at Arnos Vale Cemetery by children from St Phillips Marsh Nursery School, who brought along their own mini gorilla to meet his big brother! Both Gorillas were generously sponsored by Bristol Blue Glass. http://bristol-glass.co.uk/xcart/home.php?cat=

The children, several of them dressed as pirates for the occasion, gave him a fantastic welcome to his summer home at Arnos Vale Cemetery.

The 'Wow Gorillas' project celebrates Bristol Zoo Gardens 175th anniversary, and the sculptures will be out for the public to view until early September. They will then be auctioned to raise money for Gorilla conservation projects and the Bristol Charity 'Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal.' http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/wow-gorillas

Arnos Vale Cemetery run a variety of activities for children including 'Name the Gorilla' and 'Gorilla Colouring' Competitions http://www.arnosvale.org.uk/index.php/whatson/latestevents

Bristol Gorilla progress

Day 10

Day 9

I'm nearly there with the painting, the main area left to do is the treasure chest on the chest!

Then a good few coats of varnish.

More Bristol Gorilla update

Day 5

Day 6

Haven't had full days painting and it get's harder to work at a good pace as you get into the more detailed painting, but I'm trying to keep going reasonably fast. My elephant is watching!

Bristol Gorilla update

Day 4

Day 3

Still frantically painting.

The sculpture has such character..he's taken over my studio!

Until you have the sculpture in front of you, it's impossible to design for the areas underneath and between legs etc. ...... I decided to keep the same level of detail going...must have been mad!

Gorilla update

I'm getting stuck into painting my gorilla, the surface isn't quite a big as the elephant but it's more curved!

Here are some pics of my progress since Friday.

Day two

Day one

Arrival...move over ele!

Gorilla for Bristol

I only learnt a few days ago that my design for a Gorilla in the Wild in Art 'Wow Gorilla's' project organised by Bristol Zoo has been sponsored by Bristol Blue Glass. Terrific News!

My design echoes Bristol's sea port origins. He's called 'Blackbeard Silverback' being loosely based on the pirate 'Blackbeard' Edward Teach who was thought to have come from Bristol and was renowned for looking fearsome, with his long beard tied in bands and lighted tapers burning in his hair! The 'silverback' is covered in silver coins ...which used to be produced by the Bristol mint. The blue black hair and water in characteristic Bristol blue glass colour is teaming with sea monsters!

I'll be very busy over the next few weeks as my elephant for Singapore only arrived earlier this week too!