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Our lighthouse “Light of Green” will be making its way from the Isle of Wight, Cowes to the Southampton Boat show from the 13th of September and then to the auction on the 20th of September.
Our Lighthouse is all about the natural word and highlights the amazing the fresh produce to be found across the south, from the vines, honey and tomatoes of the Isle of Wight to the apple and pear orchards of the New Forest.
To find out more visit: https://lightthesouth.co.uk/
Earlier in the year we were busy painting two gorgeous hare sculptures for Luton’s Shot Tail Trail.
Our first hare is called Hop to Luton and is sponsored by Ethos Farm. This hoppy hare is all set to explore the town, with her camera, snacks and back-pack. The design features an array of Luton landmarks, including the famous Luton airport, the beautiful near by Wrest Park, the iconic town hall and the picturesque Wardown park.
Red Panda hare has deep red fluffy fur, white painted ears and a ringed tail. Red Pandas are an endangered species and this design highlights the importance of the conservation of our natural habitats and the importance of nature in all our lives Kindly chosen by VolkerFitzpatrick.
Hop to Luton hare painting in progress
Painting progress of Red Panda hare. Lots of wonderful animals feature on this design, from Tortoises to Cockatoos and even a tiger.
Our Barrels “Burton Through Time” and “Moonlight” are out on the trail in Burton Upon Trent this summer. We painted these gorgeous barrel sculptures for Making Trails. The trail features 14 barrels dotted around Burton, each one uniquely designed by a different artist. To find out more about the trail and where you can pick up a trail map visit Burton Barrel Roll.
Our designs feature some iconic Burton locations as well as local fauna and flora. Here is a little insight to our process of painting our two barrels:
Burton Through Time Barrel
Our process:
1 It all starts with a design- first we researched into the themes of our designs, in this instance for ‘Burton Through Time’ we looked at how Burton On Trent has evolved and some of the best loved places and things that really stood out, like Burtons Brewing past and historic buildings. We decided for this design we used a colour scheme of blues, turquoise and golds to really reflect the time and period of our design. For ‘Moonlight’ we wanted to celebrate the local wildlife, so we got stuck into designing an array of animal characters including swans, hedgehogs and water voles, we decided to evoke a sense of peace by using soothing moonlight colours of pinks, dark blues and purples. The silhouettes of Burton landmarks and the glowing starlight plants and foliage really add to the effect of calm and tranqulity.
2: Translating 2D to 3D- Its all about scaling up the design, so we decided to work with the most prominent shapes first- in this instance for ‘Burton Through Time’ we started with circle shapes. We divided the design into sections and used a circle template to draw out our design- 3 circles per side. Working on a 3D rounded sculpture can be a challenge, so it’s important to step back and see your work from a distance too. Drawing out your design in a watercolour pencil is good as it can be early wiped out if needed and won’t show up under your paint.
3: Working in layers: We start with the base colours first, making sure we apply 3-4 coats to get a good strong colour. We then build up the design layer by layer, drawing out the simple shapes with a watercolour pencil and then filling them in with acrylic paint. Dividing your design into quadrants is a good idea, approaching the sculpture from each side so you really get a feel on how your design flows around it. Once we have all the base shapes on its time to add the details- our most favourite part.
4: Details- Using small brushes and Posca pens we build up the details bit by bit, its good to keep in mind the shape of the sculpture, so if your drawing a certain object or character , step back and look at it so you can see how your character works on a curve- is it sitting well? Do you need to make allowances for the curve? Most of all it’s important to let your style shine though, have a play beforehand. Try different mark making or line work that you can achieve with the pens or brushes. For “Moonlight” we used a splatter technique to build up the stars before going in with the detailed constellations.
We will be sharing more of our top tips for sculpture painting soon, so stay tuned.
We have created this collection of fun and creative activity sheets which celebrate our 3 Shaun the Sheep designs in the Shaun in the Heart of Kent Trail this summer. This collection is filled with lots of inspiration on how to get creative and draw colourful motifs and illustrations, from farmyard animals to hot-air balloons and even a sheep on a scooter. With simple step by step instructions, you can create your very own collection of adorable characters inspired by our sculpture designs.
To print out these sheets, click on the image and then right click and save to downloads, then print out.
To find out more about the Shaun in the Heart of Kent trail visit: Shaun in the Heart of Kent
‘Best in Show’ printable activity sheet
‘Flock to Maidstone” Printable activity sheet
‘Raising the Baa” printable activity sheet
Delighted to share that we have painted 3 Shaun the Sheep sculptures for Shaun in the Heart of Kent! The sheep will be in Maidstone, Kent until the 30th of August.
Our first design Flock to Maidstone is inspired by Maidstone’s best-loved places to visit, such as Leeds Castle, Stoneacre and the River Medway. Apple orchards, hops and cherry blossoms also feature on this colourful sheep sculpture.
Our second design “Raising the Baa’ is all about getting active and enjoying being outdoors! It features lots of sheep playing different sports such as basketball, tennis and football.
The third design we painted is ‘Best in show” which is inspired by the rich and picturesque Kent countryside. It features some of Kents well known farmyard animals, foliage and countryside locations.
If you find our sheep in Maidstone be sure to tag us in @pipandrach
Find out more here: https://shaunheartofkent.co.uk/
Flock to Maidstone Shaun the Sheep Sculpture
Raising the Baa sculpture
Best in Show Shaun the sheep Sculpture
Just popping in to share this interview we did with Art Discount about painting and designing our Elmer sculpture for Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool. You can check out our interview along with two other wonderful artists interviews by clicking on this link Art Discount or by visiting the Art Discount website.
Our Elmer standing proudly outside Sandcastle Water Park in Blackpool
We had the pleasure of painting a wonderful giraffe sculpture for Wild in Art’s Cambridge Standing Tall public sculpture trail.
Our giraffe design is inspired by Cambridge’s links to Science and the breakthrough discovery of how DNA carries genetic information. Our giraffe is covered in colourful stands of DNA and fun facts about this special species.
At the end of the trail the giraffes will be off to auction to raise funds for the wonderful Break charity. To find out more visit: https://www.break-charity.org/break-trails/
Our giraffe standing proudly in the Grafton centre in Cambridge.
Our Guide Dog sculpture we painted for The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association Wild in Art
Our sculpture is called "Paws for Thought" and is enjoying its wonderful location at Crossrail Canary Wharf. The trail runs until 17 May 2024 and features an array of Guide Dog sculptures decorated by artists across the UK.
Our design is decorated in flowers, lush green foliage, bees and evokes a sense of calm in a busy city.
✨ The trail offers sighted guide tours and has multi sensory tours too, to find out more visit: https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/paws-on-the-wharf/the-trail/
✨ With thanks to Cirrico for choosing our design.
[Image description: Purple Guide Dog Sculpture decorated in flowers, bees, butterflies and foliage, sitting in front of a colourful art installation at Crossrail Canary Wharf]
Our Guide Dog sculpture at Crossrail Canary Wharf
Our snook that we painted is now enjoying its surrounding’s outside Middletons hotel York. This cheerful chap celebrates all things Yorkshire featuring some of Yorks best loved places from The shambles to Betty’s Tea room and Middletons Hotel. Covered in local dialect and Yorkshire phases this snook has a lot to say.
Yorks Snook Trail- find and journey though York to see 21 Snook Sculptures each decorated by different artists. These snooks are a bookish breed and love nothing more than a good book, find these snooks dotted across York and discover each ones story! Trail on until April 25th 2024.
Don’t forget to snap a picture of our snook “ Ey Up- Its a Snook” if you see it! Tag us @pipandrach
Thanks to Middletons hotel for the Amazing Photo of our Snook!
We were delighted to have been chosen to paint an 8 foot giraffe as part of Croydon Stands Tall. Our giraffe ‘ Sprit Of Adventure” is inspired by adventure, discovery and getting active, whenever that be a favourite sport or trying something new. This loyal giraffe is dressed like a brave Ninja in a neon green outfit, cool pink boots and even has star spots.
When painting this design we wanted to use bright colours that reflected positivity, well-being and happiness. This Giraffe stood proudly on the streets of Croydon and formed a trail with over 30 other amazing giraffes large and small all designed by different artists, schools and community groups.
The large giraffes will be coming together for a farewell event on the 11th and 12th of November in Centrale Shopping Centre Croydon. They will then be auctioned of on the 22nd of November suporting the amazing Croydon Crisis Charity. See for more details: https://www.croydonstandstall.co.uk/events/auction/
