A grand day out

A grand day out at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens at the weekend was so inspiring. The sun was shining, it was surprisingly warm, perfect for a stroll through the gardens admiring the sculpture exhibition and beautiful collection of trees and plants. It is a place that we visit every year during autumn and this year did not disappoint.

Twist   sea glass and wood by Glenn Martin

I thought I would share just a few of what I thought were the highlights of the exhibition. First of all 'Twist' by Glenn Martin. I fell in love with this one for the form and choice of materials. I couldn't capture the lovely textures of the piece in a photograph but hope you can see just some of the effect of light on the semi opaque glass. I'm sure this sculpture would keep on giving with it's cast shadow at different times of day too. A different piece by the same artist 'Walking Ammonite' provided a lovely surprise sneaking and creeping through the foliage.

Twist   sea glass and wood by Glenn Martin

Walking Ammonite   recycled materials by Glenn Martin

Canyon (4/10) mild steel and leaded glass by Joe Szabo

There were  a few sculptures by Joe Szabo that I would happily have in my garden too. Again the glass, leaded glass in this case, was shining like jewels in the sun. The curator of this exhibition had done a wonderful job placing the pieces near plants that complimented with their shape, colours and textures. The enjoyment they must of had working out what to put where shone through.

Red Kite   cold cast metals   by Paul Harvey

I loved the beautiful elegant curves of  Red Kite by Paul Harvey.  His sculptures beckon to be stroked like a sea worn pebble in the pocket - not that I did but I was tempted... His website is a feast for the eyes.  Gannets is a particular favourite.









Another favourite sculptor, Stan Jankowski had work was on display but I was unable to get a good image of the pieces he had there this year ( a mix of the strong light reflecting on the metal and the speed of movement). Instead I will show a photo that I took a couple of years ago of wind sculpture Piccolo Vento. You really need to see these wind sculptures in action, there are some links to videos on YouTube on his website which are well worth a few minutes of your time. I think this one would look lovely near the gingko tree in my garden...maybe one day.

Piccolo Vento   brass and copper   by Stan Jankowski

The sculpture exhibition ends on 15th October so we were cutting it fine this year. I am already looking forward to next years exhibition. The gardens continue to be open though and there is a gallery of continuous changing exhibitions in the building near the entrance. The gardens and tree collection are gorgeous to visit at any time of the year and if you look carefully you can see the intricate work of their permanent artists in residence.

Web by S. Pider