miss b's quote

'I haven't been everywhere yet but it's on my list' Susan Sontag

Friday 20 September 2013

miss b loves ......... stylish elephants in the Elephant Parade

              

Last Sunday, during an impromptu shopping trip to the Trafford Centre, Manchester we came across vibrant art creations on elephant statues dotted all around the mall.

The national Elephant Parade Tour has been sponsored by mall owners 'intu' to raise greater awareness for the plight of Asian elephants.



Top artists, celebrities and schoolchildren have created their own elephants.


'Forest'
by Claudia Schiffer

Alex Jones, presenter of BBC's 'The One Show' designed 'Spirit' with Mercy Delta. This colour combination and mix of patterns with the horse design is so creative and eye-catching.


'Spirit'

'An Elephant's Tale' by Katie Sollohub was inspired by childhood memories of Tarzan and Boy riding elephants in the jungle, Barbar The Elephant and other stories about these magnificent creatures.


'An Elephant's Tale'

One of my favourites was 'Sunday Best' by Anna Masters. Her pretty blue and white elephant was inspired by patterns on Chinese ceramics.


'Sunday Best'

Patrice Moor loves pink tulips and Jane Austen and decided to paint a tulip upside down on Mrs Bennet's head to make it look a bit like a bonnet!


'Mrs Bennet'

I was fascinated by the wide range of styles from the pretty to the fun and quirky .......


'Pop Art' by Nattapol Buaum
'Ice Creamy' by Karina Choudrie

Of course as this is a UK tour, there were designs related to this part of the world including 'Pilgrim' with its West Country sea-faring connections. There's a continuous harbour scene which Martin Procter, the artist, hopes will remind people of this lovely area of England. 


'Pilgrim'

'Wild London' by Patricia Shrigley is all about the enjoyment of local wildlife. She believes that the Elephant Parade is a celebration of our relationship with wildlife and it also shows that we care. 


'Wild London'

Richard Powell was asked to create a very British icon. Apparently The Red Arrows Royal Air Force Aerobatics Display Team  was suggested by an eight year old girl and as a result he created the vibrant red elephant to reflect the colours and design of the aeroplanes.

Red Arrow

This UK Tour follows eleven successful parades in cities around the world including Amsterdam, Singapore and Milan. Millions have been raised for Asian elephant conservation projects through the auction or sale of the elephants.

I hope you enjoyed my selection ..... my favourites ...... and finally, here is Lily Pepper, covered in oriental lilies  and defintely one of the prettiest!

'Lily Pepper'

We were so lucky to see the elephants as this was their last day in Manchester and they have now made their way to Gateshead in the north-east. For details of dates and future venues click here. (This tour ends in London in July 2014.)

Meet some of the artists and have a peep behind the scenes in this short video ....... 




67 comments:

  1. I like that blue and white one as well. I haven't seen them do this in London this year though - pity as it livens up the streets. I wouldn't mind one in front of my house though!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The tour will apparently be in Central London from the 28th July 2014.

      Delete
    2. My favourite is Sunday Best, too! Would love to seem them in London on their last stop. That's another year of waiting.
      Have a lovely weekend :)

      Delete
  2. This is so nice! The idea reminds mе a little bit of the one with the bears. I really like Mrs Bennet and Lily Pepper! Thanks for sharing!

    Sun and Sany

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh I love it! It reminds me of the Egg Hunt around London when I was visiting in March last year - I loved finding a new egg somewhere and reading about who had created it. They were so beautiful and varied. Love the elephants you've featured. I think my favourite is The Red Arrow. Fun! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes they reminded me of the Egg Hunt too. I featured some of them in a post after we saw them in Manchester in March this year.

      Delete
  4. Such an interesting story, these elephants are so adorable... Great idea! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Morning Miss B! I never heard about the Elephant Parade Tour, it sounds amazing and all the elephants are outstanding, what an amazing job must have been behind each of them, really creative! My fav is the Elephant Tale, I saw there is also Babar, when I was a child I used to watch the cartoons:) Have a lovely weekend, kisses! xo

    ReplyDelete
  6. These elephants are adorable and so great that it is for a good cause. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I remember seeing these all over London a few years back on a day trip there. Beyond cute! x

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hiya Miss b, what a nice welcomng post! Firstly, thanks for your comments, I've been busy and away as well, so no worries. This is such a great post because I LOVE elephants, and have art, jewellery, etc. I love art installations like this: Sunday's Best and Spirit are my favourites. I chuckled at the Mrs. Bennet style. Enjoy your week dear. xx/Madison

    ReplyDelete
  9. How beautiful - i have seen something similar in Colombia but instead of elephants, it was cows!

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a wonderful cause! I love the ice creamy and plight one. I knew there was a problem with Elephant hunting in Africa, but was unaware of it in Asia. So glad people are being educated about this. Thanks for this post Miss B.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a fun exhibit! I think "Wild London" might be my favorite of the bunch.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I would have loved to have seen this, love the Pop Art one along with Mrs Bennet and Wild London! :) xx

    adaliascloset.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love these pics! Everyone looks different! Greetings from Zurich!

    ReplyDelete
  14. How amazing is that artwork, and for such a good cause too....I wonder what they will do with them afterwards? I would love the black and white one.......just not sure how it would fit in my house!! xx

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wonderful! I love how different they are. I have seen different versions of this...cows, flamingoes....all in different cities.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Awww I love these adorable painted elephants, Ive seen the bear and cow parades before, each one has its own charm. Loving the Spirit, Wild London and Ice Creamy ones. Thanks for your kind words. Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh, what a fantastic day this must have been! I like ALL the elephants, but I have to say that there was one that stood out among the others for me - THE BLUE AND WHITE ONE, SUNDAY BEST! It is so pretty. Thanks for sharing photos of the elephants. I love this beautiful animal.

    Love,
    ~Sheri

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a wonderful project - and what amazing art has come from it! As I scrolled down through this post, I kept thinking to myself, This elephant is certainly my favourite. And then I would scroll to the next and find that I loved it even more! It's obvious that in addition to be talented, all of the artists are passionate about the cause - it shines right through their work!
    xox,
    Cee

    ReplyDelete
  19. such a great cause in a creative way

    ReplyDelete
  20. We have the same project currently on display in Luxembourg!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I remember seeing Luxembourg on the list of venues.

      Delete
  21. Oh my friend these are brilliant! Here in Canada (Toronto) we had moose all over the city painted and dressed in all sorts - throughout the city a few years back. It was brilliant to see. These elephants are so well done. Thanks for sharing your fabulous photos!! Wishing you a beautiful week-end. Hugs, C.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I like the blue and white too. But everything were designed so well. They were designed so creatively.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh I love this chic little 'trunk' show! Fun post Miss B!
    xx, Heather

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love those pop elephants. They remind me of the pop cows that wer exposed in numerous spots of Paris a couple of years ago. So cute!!!!
    You have a new follower.
    Greetings from Rome
    Laura

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would have liked to see the cows in Paris too.
      I'm so pleased to see that you are my new follower. Thank you very much.

      Delete
  25. oh wow, I would be totally taken aback I was just popping to our local shopping centre and saw these standing outside Topshop and Selfridges. They look beautiful. The annoying thing is that some people have houses big enough to house these things in their hallway, I'd love to be able to! My favourite is the black and white one!

    ReplyDelete
  26. We have an Elephant Parade here in Dana Point, CA (south Orange County on the coast) I've been driving by for a week. I'll stop tomorrow, wondering if it is for the same cause?

    If I could be a winning bidder I would choose "An Elephant's Tale" or "Pilgrim". Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes I'm sure it is for the same cause. I read that there was to be an Elephant Parade in California. I imagine there will be some interesting designs with a coastal theme too.

      Delete
  27. so cute! elephants is my favorite! my totem!


    www.letiziabarcelona.com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Some of them look so cutte... like the Spirit, Wild London or the Lily Pepper!

    http://beautyfollower.blogspot.gr/

    ReplyDelete
  29. these are so pretty! very cool to see the same piece interpreted in different ways! my favorite is sunday best
    xx Corinne
    cateyesandthighhighs.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. Have a great week ahead Miss B! Kisses! xo

    ReplyDelete
  31. Oh, this is cool! I haven't been to the Trafford centre in years!

    Corinne x
    www.skinnedcartree.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. They are so wonderful! I am going to check the link to see if they are coming over here. Thank you for the news and photos! x

    ReplyDelete
  33. Those elephants look so fabulous.
    I love elephants
    I have a little collection of elephant items.
    They are said to be lucky when the trunk is raised.

    ReplyDelete
  34. oh, magical! Those elephants just grabbed my attention, such a wonderful exibition! I'd love to visit it with a great pleasure) One of my favourites is same as yours:) That elephant "Sunday Best" by Anna Masters is gorgeous! Though, I must say this pattern is very alike with russian traditional patern called "Gzhel" :)))
    Wish you a blessed day ahead!

    www.svetusvet.com

    ReplyDelete
  35. Beautiful designs! Good to know it is for a good cause :) xx

    // Inês Paúl //

    ReplyDelete
  36. What a fabulous idea for a great cause! Have a good week:)
    ~Anne

    ReplyDelete
  37. Thankyou for your visit,dear friend!:)*

    So beautiful they are...........just creativity knows no bounds!!! Fantatsic!

    Wishing you wonderful week,
    ***Violetta***

    ReplyDelete
  38. These are gorgeous! I love 'sunday best' and 'wild london'. so pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Such gorgeous porcelain elephants.
    www.thoughtsofpaps.com

    ReplyDelete
  40. these are fabulous but I also love that mall too! what a gorgeous place to shop!

    www.nycstylelittlecannoli.com

    ReplyDelete
  41. Wow! I really would have liked to have seen this in person! Fabulous post

    ReplyDelete
  42. Very beautiful elephants ;)

    I follow you beautiful blog on bloglovin. I hope you will follow me back and I will wait for you in my blog www.gabusiek.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  43. i really love elephants! such strong, quiet yet caring and sensitive animals. i like the pink one with the zoo animals on it :) this is such a neat display!

    ReplyDelete
  44. THese are all pure genius! (absolutely loving the very first elephant! )

    Hayfa
    http://londonloafers.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  45. Beautiful designs, I adore elephants. My favorite is the red and leopard print one, I would love if they created shelf sized versions of these that you could buy. Thanks for sharing.

    LittlePinkRainBoots.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They were selling small versions but the shop was closed by the time we spotted it. There is an online shop -elephantparadewebshop.com

      Delete
  46. I have to say Sunday best is my favorite elephant too, so beautiful.

    Meg | meghansilva.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  47. Oh I love these elephants! xo Caroline

    ReplyDelete
  48. Lily Pepper looks adorable! Copenhagen hosted an open air Elephant Parade exhibit in 2011 and I was lucky enough to be in the city at that time. My favorite elephant from that exhibit had drawings of doughnuts, ice cream and candies on it... so cute!

    http://denimandgray.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sure the elephant with the doughnuts and ice cream on it looked really cute!

      Delete
  49. These elephants are so adorable. I have always loved elephants.

    Tracy @ Sunny Days and Starry Nights

    ReplyDelete
  50. Sunday Best is my favorite too! I have a small replica of an international elephant tour like this one sitting in my livingroom. He is painted like a ladybird :)

    ReplyDelete
  51. So many comments! Thank you very much. I enjoyed finding out which elephants you all preferred and 'Sunday Best' was certainly a favourite. I was also interested to read that some of you have seen an Elephant Parade or similar exhibitions with other animals in your part of the world.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Elephants' parade!!! So cute! love them all!
    XOXO from Shanghai!

    ReplyDelete
  53. Awee these are so cute. Loved this post!
    http://claudiapersi.blogspot.ca/

    ReplyDelete
  54. Ah these elephants are awesome. Elephants were my favorite animal as a child.


    Ali of Dressing Ken

    ReplyDelete
  55. I am so late on my blog reading. Really enjoyed this. What beautiful creations. I think I love the blue and white like you, but the floral ones are also pretty. What a terrific cause! Thanks for sharing this!
    xxKim

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to write a comment on my blog. I really do appreciate it. miss b

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...