Carving out a chainsaw sculpture

Denius Parson

Hayley Jones

Jude Goss

Press release issued: 29 March 2018

An original sculpture using a chainsaw will be created this Easter weekend during the University of Bristol's Botanic Garden Easter Sculpture Festival. The unique sculpture will be crafted by local artist, Denius Parson, who will be demonstrating his art using a heavy-duty chainsaw.

The Easter Sculpture Festival will take place from Good Friday [March 30] to Easter Monday [April 2] from 10 am to 5 pm.

Now an established event in the south west arts and gardening calendar, this year's Festival features more sculptors than ever before, and with sculptures including dragon's egg planters, ghost flowers, stained glass, stone flautists and cranes.

Nick Wray, Curator of the Botanic Garden, said: "As the Garden reawakens in springtime local artists who have been inspired by the natural world will display their work.

"This year, for the first time, we are delighted to welcome chainsaw artist Denius Parson, who will be demonstrating his art. This is fast-paced work and it will be exciting to see his work emerge over the weekend. With the Garden bursting into life, this will create the perfect environment for visitors to enjoy."

Denius, who will be giving chainsaw sculpture demonstrations throughout the Festival, manages a small woodland on the outskirts of Painswick, Gloucestershire, where he converts diseased and dying trees into unique natural creations that blend into their new surroundings.

Another sculptor is Penny Hardy with her cast dance figures inspired by contemporary dancers uses flexible, sinuous materials to re-create movement. Penny originally trained as a scientific illustrator but has developed an interest in three dimensional forms and sculpture.

Other artists include new exhibitor, Hayley Jones, a self-taught artist who works with wire. Colleen du Pon is a metal sculptor and artist blacksmith, originally from Canada and now living in Bridport, West Dorset. In 2002 she was awarded the Bruce Church Travel Scholarship and has travelled extensively, working directly with nomadic blacksmiths in India.

Another new exhibitor, Valda Jackson, who was born in Blue Mountains, Jamaica and came to England at the age of five to join her parents and settle in Birmingham. Working with children and young people is an ongoing passion and inspiration.

Her drawing, painting and sculpture are internationally renowned, and her paintings have been exhibited at London's National Portrait Gallery and the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol.

Ceramicist, Renee Kilburn, moved from Sweden to England in 1994 to study Ceramic Design at London's Central Saint Martins. Her chosen material is white stoneware that is glazed in a white gloss glaze and fired to 1260 after the bisque firing. She then paints the piece in hand mixed earthenware glazes to achieve the brilliant colours.

Kathryn Shorthouse's ceramics work is inspired from her time on a Devon farm watching how the sunlight changes to create different shadows and shapes throughout the day.

Sculptors returning this year with new creations include Lucianne Lassalle (bronze); Jude Goss (stained glass); Adele Christensen and Aurora Pozniakow (glass artists); Karen Edwards and Jitka Palmer (ceramics); Daren Greenhow (steel); Frankie Hudson (mosaics); Willa Ashworth (metalwork); Jeremy Baines and Christine Baxter (ceramics).

Willow weaver, Maya Wolfe, will also be teaching visitors her craft and helping them create willow sculptures to take home to their garden.

The Easter Sculpture Festival at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden will take place from Good Friday, 30 March until Easter Monday, 2 April from 10 am to 5 pm. Refreshments, tours of the garden and demonstrations will be available.

Entry to the Botanic Garden Easter Sculpture Festival is adults £6.50 with gift aid (£5.90 without); free to University staff and retired staff, Friends of the Botanic Garden, students and children under-18.

Further information

About the Botanic Garden
The Botanic Garden has a strong evolutionary theme and cultivates over 4,500 plant species forming four core collections that illustrate plant evolution, plants from Mediterranean climates, useful plants and rare and threatened native plants to the Bristol area.

Star attractions include an amazing dell demonstrating the evolution of land plants including the dinosaurs’ favourite plants: ginkgos, cycads, tree ferns, monkey puzzles and the Wollemi Pine. Other delights include the Chinese and Western herb gardens and an inspiring display of plants illustrating floral diversity.

Normal admission and opening times
The Botanic Garden is open from 10 am until 4.30 pm (except during weekends in November, February and March when opening times change to 10.30 am until 3 pm).

The Garden is open Monday to Friday and closed at weekends from December until the end of January.

From February until the end of November the Garden is open for seven days a week including bank holidays.

Admission is £5.50 (Gift Aid payment)* or £5.00 (non - Gift Aid payment); free to University staff and retired staff, Friends of the Botanic Garden, students and children under 18.

*The adult gate entry fee of £5.50 includes a 50p voluntary donation which UK taxpayers’ can pay, allowing the Botanic Garden to benefit from a 25 per cent refund of tax from the government on each adult ticket.

Dogs (except registered disability assistance dogs) are not permitted in the Botanic Garden.

The garden is largely accessible for wheelchairs and mobility scooters with a designated path leading around the garden and glasshouses. Disabled toilet facilities are available on site.

Pre-booked guided tours of the garden for groups of ten upwards are available seven days a week. Please contact the garden for further information. There is a charge for the guide.

Directions to the Botanic Garden
From the city centre go to the top of Whiteladies Road, at the junction and traffic lights go straight ahead across Durdham Down towards Stoke Bishop. At the traffic lights go straight ahead and take the first turning on the right into Stoke Park Road, The Botanic Garden at the Holmes is 150 metres on the right.

Members of the public wishing to support the work of the Botanic Garden should join the Friends of the Garden. For more information go to the Friends of the Botanic Garden or write to Susan Redfern, The Membership Secretary, 24 Dublin Crescent, Henleaze, Bristol BS9 4NA.