RHS Chelsea flower show 2012

Our stand at RHS Chelsea Flower show

Back for a second year, our stand at the Chelsea flower show was a great success!
I share the stand with fellow sculptor Bendan Hesmondhalgh and, due in no small part to our efforts last year, we were moved up into the main show square, right outside the huge floral marquee.

Thank you so much to all of you who came on our stand and spent some time with us, always nice to get positive feed back.

 As the weatherman told us the week before ( when we are already on site building the stand)  it was going to rain, rain, rain, we weren't exactly prepared with the scorcher of a week that was to follow!,  not exactly the norm for Chelsea week, but no complaints from us!

 I'm not sure the public realise just how difficult and tiring Chelsea flower show is, and what a momentous operation it is for the organisers,stewards,and traffic control, it really is a  precision operation, with 40 ton lorries, an army of heavy lifting vehicles and hundreds of smaller vehicles all crammed in and working in what is actually a very small park, they should make a documentary about it!

 Then comes show week.
 The show is open from 8am til 8pm every day , finding time to sneak off and eat lunch, and maybe grab a Pimm's or two, is not an easy thing to do!

I Would like to thank William Armitage of Armitage's nurseries for sponsoring the plants and his invaluable advice!
 I should also, give a mention to our neighbours on neighbouring trade stands, great to get to know you all and share in the laughs!

So here's a few photos images i managed to capture.... and a few famous faces.

How does Joan Collins always look the same age

Sir John hurt

A Good show , good show!

SIR CLIFF!!!

David Goode with his amazing goblins!

Long before the public arrive, the film crews are busy

the little watch man

 A Little owl as you so often see them... keeping an eye out for anything tasty that may stray it's way
 These and the Tawny owls are usually the ones making all the noise around dusk!
 Again i can make the base to fit your requirements. This one is on a silver birch post with oak base.

The red red robin...

 Everybody loves a robin!, I don't know why people only associate them with christmas, I think of them more in the spring, when you finally get out into the garden to dig the beds and start planting out for the summer ahead. there's usually a robin on hand to pick off the tiny insects you've disturbed.
 Far from shy, they usually sit a few feet away keeping a watchful eye.
 I'll be doing various bases for this anfd the nuthatch as i can position the feet in different ways.

Spiderman of the trees

 I love the way Nuthatches go about there business!, most birds hop around the branches, this one runs around the trunks, up and down chesing its food. really nice shades of blue and pale orange make for a nice patination.
 I's also the first time i've sculpted a wooden base which i really enjoyed, this one is oak, but I can do any shape of type of wood if you have any ideas for your piece.

New kingfisher takes flight

Following the success of my kingfisher on the branch, I've added a new version to the collection,
 I've kept it in the same smooth style as the last one as i think it really works on the birds.
 I really like the shape of the base here, and the gradient shading from dark to light of the water.
 Topped of with a silver fish!

Fox portrait

Here's a little portrailt of a fox i did as a study for a larger fox i'm doing for a floral exhibit in the grand pavillion at Chelsea flower show this year.
 If you are attending, i'll have my own stand there with fellow sculptor Brendan Hesmondhalgh, but have a look at the fantastic Japanese maples on the "Hippopottering" exhibit, you may notice a elegant little fox staring out from the trees!!

THOSE BOXING HARES SOLD OUT FAST!

My most successful sculpture to date, the boxing hares, have sold out already!
 50 pieces in 18 months, that's not bad going,
 Many thanks to the collectors and gallery owners that purchased and promote my work.


 Hares have always been very successful for me, in fact my first ever bronze was a hare, i had it cast at Burleighfield arts in High Wycombe around 15 years ago when i was still largely selling resin sculpture, or cold cast bronze as it's now called (a slightly misleading term in my opinion but each to their own!).
 The foundry, now long gone, delivered it a week after the Hampton court flower show, for which it was intended, with a whole bunch of excuses!.
 Anyway, i was so happy to have my first ever bronze cast, that i ended up keeping it, and never got round to exhibiting it.... not exactly businessman of the year!
 Any way, I'm digressing into memories there... back to the present,
 Don't despair if you where one of the unlucky few who wanted the boxing pair, I've sculpted a new pair.
    I've called them Ruff and Tumble....

 ..... I think you can see why!