• The gold philodendron’ sway, water trickling gracefully into the dark waters of the pond below
Brussels sprout plant, which water bubbled gently from. Simon never creates fountains with ‘water pyrotechnics’. He prefers the gentle cascade of water to harsh shooting jets. Four Shires residents don’t have to travel far to see one of Simon’s creations. Kiftsgate Court in Gloucestershire is home to possibly his most well known fountain, ‘The gold philodendron’. This fountain has made way for Simon’s current water installation. After a Japanese visitor to the UK saw his beautiful effort at Kiftsgate he tracked down its creator and has now commissioned a corporate fountain for a resort in the mountains north of Tokyo. This project is into its last year of creation and will hopefully be installed at the end of 2011 or the beginning of 2012, having taken, by this time, a grand total of two and a half years to produce! Considering that the usual turn around time for a bespoke fountain at the foundry is between two months and a year from concept to completion, you can imagine the scale and intricacy of the one being produced for the Japanese client. As much as Simon always welcomes corporate commissions
he finds it just as rewarding to work on special pieces for the public. ‘An elderly couple came to me, after they had received a little windfall, wanting a bespoke fountain made for their
garden. They were so enthusiastic from start to finish. They were often down on their hands and knees in the foundry, intrigued by every part of the process. It was a very rewarding project to work on and it was a pleasure to be asked to the unveiling party once it was installed.’ Said Simon. Another of Simon’s memorable fountains is a magnificent gunnera, which dominates the pond of Lord Heseltine’s garden. Each of the bronze leaves measure an impressive 1.5metres across! Much of the inspiration for the fountains comes from the natural world and the interface between people and the landscape. ‘You just can’t escape the outdoor world; it is after all, all around us. It is good to visit cities and then come back to the Four Shires. You can’t really appreciate the beauty of one if you have not experienced the other.’ Along with the foundry, Simon and his wife Jane will be
welcoming the public to their gallery for an open exhibition during North Oxfordshire ‘Art Weeks’, which runs from May 14 – May 22. To contact Simon or for more information on his work
you can go online at
www.allisonfountains.co.uk, ring 01295 758066 or email:
silocksculp@hotmail.com
• This is then fired, The wax melts away leaving a hollow shell
• In the foundry, the bronze is heated to 1200˚c and then carefully poured into the ceramic shell.
• The ceramic shell is removed to reveal a magnificent bronze leaf. This is then ‘finished’ by craftsmen. The separate leaves are assembled to complete the full plant.
March 2011 7
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