Worcester Stands Tall 2018 ...
I originally applied to take part in the Worcester Stand’s Tall art trail in November 2017. I was shortlisted to the top 100 and in mid may the following year (2018), I received a phonecall asking if I wanted to take part as I had been chosen as a wild card artist. Before I knew it, I was in the studio, covered in paint, with an 8ft giraffe sculpture and a deadline of 3 weeks – no pressure!
My sculpture was sponsored by one of Worcester’s main landmarks, the Worcester Cathedral. As such, my giraffe was to be located in the front grounds of the Cathedral. It felt like it was meant to be, as my initial design fitted in so well with my sponsor.
Angelica
The inspiration for Angelica came from the stain glass windows in the Worcester Cathedral. I used the main front window of the cathedral as the centre piece of the design, however I wanted to make the design my own. I wanted to represent my love for intricate pattern so decided to add a mandala feel as I’d been working a lot with them in my henna work that year.
I started with the base of mixed colours using a range of emulsion paints and sponge work. I then focused on the head of the giraffe by spray painting it gold to represent the precious statues and artifacts within the Cathedral. I finally hand drew the top design in black posca pen, finished with a resin coating.
Worcester Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral, so the name Angelica came easily when it came to titling the giraffe. It also reflected the meaning of ‘angelic’ that suited the cathedral perfectly. It’s gorgeous inside and out.
Once the trail had started, I had so many people mentioning Angelica. It warmed my heart to think that people knew me as someone who created one of the giraffes. I was featured in Worcester News, Slap Magazine and Live 24-7 Magazine.
During the trail, a lovely little moment happened whilst I was out for dinner: a lady recognised me and approached the table to say hello and then further explained how her daughter was loving the art trail, and that Angelica was her favourite! (Far from fame of course, but what a sweet feeling!)
The event was such an amazing platform for local artists and I hope something like this happens again soon for Worcester.
The Auction
After the giraffes were displayed and loved around Worcester for 10 weeks, it came to the bittersweet moment – the auction.
Everyone involved was so excited to see how well the giraffes were going to do. The whole evening was so emotional, especially seeing the people who would be directly affected by the money raised. Angelica sold to a private collector for £7,200, which was way more than I ever expected! The entire auction itself raised a staggering £210,000 which was an incredible achievement.
For me, Angelica and Worcester Stands Tall was such a prominent moment and I hope to be lucky enough to partake in another art trail soon.
