A Perfect Summer Evening

All summer there is a fantastic exhibition of Sculpture at Beaulieu, the home of the National Motor Museum. Walk past the modern building housing all things “petrol head” and you enter the world of Palace House and its enchanting gardens. Kitchen gardens, walled gardens, wild gardens, manicured lawns, topiary gardens and the cloisters of the ancient Abbey make for a lovely wander at the best of times – but add in 250 sculptures and WOW!

We visited on one of their late opening evenings with our picnic. We were lucky – it was a beautiful evening, and it wasn’t crowded. Even at the beginning we had areas to ourselves and by the end we had the whole site to ourselves. Ours was the last car in the carpark! Maybe we outstayed our welcome – but nobody hassled us to leave and there was just so much to see – and of course a picnic to eat! We didn’t make it inside the Palace to see the small works – there was too much to see outside.

The avenue down to the Palace was lined with interesting works by Angie Doy – oriental figures in bronze resin on beautiful plinths of granite and oak and very affordable. They were a great size and would work really well in a small garden whereas “Fighting Red Deer Stags”, bronzes by John Cox, need a large space and probably wouldn’t suit the average suburban garden but they are very beautiful and life like. You can feel the power and the force behind the locked antlers.

Staying on the wildlife theme I loved his “Ducks in Reeds”, beautifully positioned by the lake – 4 ducks flying out of the bulrushes. If I had a lake or pond, I would have found that very difficult to leave behind at £2,494. The detail is fabulous – each duck has a different wing position and the bulrushes are bending over as the ducks emerge out of them.

The wild parts of the gardens were full of animals – mostly in bronze! Groups of sheep, pigs, and more deer all totally at home amongst the grasses and wildflowers. On the lawn a pair of peregrine falcons in stainless steel by Michael Turner were particularly striking, glinting in the evening sun. It was a veritable feast for the eyes.

During lockdown those of us fortunate enough to have some outside space became very much more aware of its value to our health and wellbeing. Gardens became even more regarded as an extension to the home – another “room” to relax in and once allowed, to entertain in. The bifold doors that allow the outside in and the inside out have become very popular in house building, extensions and renovations to link the two. Interior design might stop at the patio doors, but the garden designer will pick up from the interior designer to flow out to the outdoor space.

So why does art stop at the patio doors? Why not enhance your outside space with beautiful sculpture – it is not just for stately homes. As Sculpture at Beaulieu shows, a lot of sculpture is affordable. Bronzes are weatherproof and fairly indestructible. Most can be installed as a permanent, non-moveable feature.

As can be seen at Beaulieu, sculpture can be static, moving, modern, traditional, abstract, figurative, serious, fun etc etc. So, start thinking beyond the water feature when you are planning your garden.

Let me know if I can help you find the perfect art for your garden – big or small. jane@thetrustedartguide.com