Spring and Sculptures!

As my children used to joke, when they were young..Spring has sprung. Coming home the other night, l realised that the tree l walked past everyday, had suddenly start to bud. I took an image by flash but didn't expect it to come out very well. When l saw the result, l was quite surprised and very pleased! 

 It was lovely on Saturday so l went out, to see if l could photograph the buds l had seen the night before. 

See the images below. I love the first image, you can actually see how sticky this bud is, as it is starting to unravel and open.

I was surprised to see, in one of the gardens across the road from my 1930's flat, these snowdrops but they were the tallest snowdrops l have ever seen. Perhaps they are a hybrid version? Also all the other small snowdrops l have seen, have now all finished flowering and have died.

Also in the well at the bottom of the wall, l saw the leaves in the image below. It was a great surprise to me, to see these red leaves, still looking so fresh, when there is nothing on the trees anymore..very weird.

Over the last few months l have found it quite interesting, finding out what sort of Public Sculptures are placed around the places l visit, for work or pleasure in London. Not the usual ones like Henry Moore Sculpture which everyone knows but one's by artists that maybe people don't know or are in places that people don't notice them.

The first one is on a well know building but people often walk past it and never really see it. It is the sculpture on the main entrance to the British Libary. Often it is missed because the British libary itself is such an outstanding building and has some well known art work in the gardens.  I did ask people sitting around in the beautiful courtyard if they had noticed the gates. Out of the 10 people l ask, only 3 had noticed them and no-one could tell me the Artist's name. The large lintel of the gatehouse consists of carved raised letters on red sandstone ( not in image). The image below shows the gates themselves, which are made of heavy sheet steel and the words BRITISH LIBARY are cut out of the steel and were made in the workshop of the artist David Kindersley

The next 2 images, are of a sculpture on a side wall of the Wimbledon Public Libary. It was crafted in 1995, by a Wimbledon School of Art Student called Mohammed Sheibazi.  It is called "Release" and the "books" are made up of bricks, similar to the construction of the libary materials. I think the shelves are lead but l am not sure. There are 2 of these oblong scultures on the wall.The only comment l have to make about this sculpture which is which is "bad"..is l wish they had put these 2 sculpure more in the middle of the wall, rather squashed up against one a water pipe!. I wish they had either found another place or put one sculture on each wall.  Otherwise, l think this is an amazing sculture and well worth a special visit to Wimbledon, just to see it!

 The next sculture, l think can only be seen from the train.  It is advertising the Menier Chocolate Factory! It is made of wood but does look like chocolate!!!

 Tthe next image is one l found on a wall, at about 6 feet off the ground, in Wimbledon Town. It is l think properbly part of an Art students work but so far have been unable to find out anything about it!

The last image is one l really love. It is again in Wimbledon ( No surprise to learn there is an Art School situated in the town!) and is situated above the railway station entrance. It looks different depending on which way the light is coming through it. Loads of people l know have never notice it until l have pointed it out to them. I think mainly because you have to look up to see it! I think it is amazing!