MAMMOTH TASK
In April last year, I trimmed a Cypress tree in my back garden. But two days on, I’d got a call from Fife Council. Someone had complained about the foliage on my back lawn. You see, I’m a sculptor, so I like to create new things. I didn’t see a pile of wood, I saw potential! The dangly leaves and branches could suit a fluffy creature. Then it hit me… A woolly mammoth! I immediately set to work. I built a framework for its body then layered up the branches to act as his shaggy fur. Being in the front garden meant passersby stopped to ask what I was doing. ‘I wish I had a neighbour like you!’ a kind lady commented one day. Five days on, I’d completed 8ft ‘Woody’ with branches left over.
Although I’d done it for fun, it became quite an attraction for the community.
Families drove by and stopped to show their children and take photos.
Seeing how popular Woody was, my mind began to whirr.
I decided to use more of the thick long branches to create a spider that would run across my roof!
Nicknamed ‘Spider’, his body moved as I attached a stick to push him up and down from below.
‘It looks like he’s scuttling!’ my partner grinned. Locals seem to love him. It’s been wonderful, so I’m planning another project.
This time, it will be a very special bird’s nest, complete with a swooping eagle in the back. I love creating art that makes people stop and think, and hopefully smile…