SCULPTURES
The River Colne sculptures were conceived as part of The Tales of the River Project and as such were inspired by the excellent work done by Groundwork with the community of Watford where they explored the river, and imagined how the senses were stimulated by the nature in and around the river. The resulting poem was an inspiration for the sculptures.
In the poem there is mention of “the guardians of the river” and it is this that inspired the work with Lanchester school children in imagining what sort of guardians might guard the sculptures.
The sculptures themselves The sculptures themselves were inspired by research into the nature and the geology of the river itself. The River Colne is a rare chalk bed river and the first sculpture - a smooth chalk flow - celebrates that geology.
The River Colne is a rare chalk bed river and it is this the inspired the first sculpture which is a smooth chalk flow to celebrate that geology. Chalk is a cretaceous material and naturally contains a massive fossil record which is reflected through fossils embedded and etched into the surface of the sculpture.
The smooth chalk flow is guarded by King Colne drawn by Reza.
The middle sculpture featuring a dragonfly on top is inspired by the nature of the river, the dragonfly being an insect that starts its life cycle in the water as a nymph, goes through a process of metamorphosis and finishes as an airborne winged insect that can be seen in and around the river and the parks of Watford.
The sculpted rock that the dragonfly sits on top of, displays the life cycle of the dragonfly from the watery nymph stage through to the stunning dragonfly perched on top.
This sculpture is guarded by the Water Fay, and the Princess of Rivers.
These two fairies of the realm were carefully chosen from a wonderful selection of beautiful drawings, for their ideology and their sketched mastery!
The mossy log came from walking along the river in the depth of winter when the many fallen trees were covered with the rich greens of various mosses, and I fell in love with them each and every one of them. My photo gallery is full of moss pictures!
The mossy log is guarded by two very special characters – Gary the Goblin, drawn by Fraser and Heghog the Prickly, by Dylan, who were selected for their wonderful quirky characteristics and for the explanations given by their designers. Gary carries a sack of gold that he got from the end of the rainbow but because he is a kind goblin he is willing to share it with his friends. Heghog the Prickly has a blue nose because of his love for the River Colne and he has a few leaves stuck to him because of his prickly coat.
