park-life
This piece was a commission for a 60th birthday present for a man who managed the Parks Department in London Local Authority, the birthday boy was partial to a tipple of London Pride.
The piece was commissioned by work colleagues who thought a squirrel would be appropriate and wanted it to reflect the nature of the London parks that its new owner looks after.
Parks are public spaces that are strewn with N.O.S canisters, I could imagine they’d be a bit of an issue when mowing lawns. I’ve no idea what the wildlife make of them.
Animals like squirrels have to live alongside humans and all their waste on a daily basis. I am sure when parks are invaded for events it must be terrifying for them, though I’m also sure squirrels are clever enough to know that there will be a ton of scraps to pick at when the crowds have left which might give them an interesting diet.
This squirrel was living in Droitwich when it died. It is a juvenile male, fit and healthy. He was shot by a land owner with an air rifle. He suffered two wounds, one on his shoulder which smashed the bone and another which penetrated the torso and remained lodged under the skin in the stomach area. I like to do the eyes slightly open so you can just see the shine of the eye. I think it may draw the viewer in to see the face more closely, it also makes him look a bit drunk.
I’m sure squirrels sleep with one eye open, they always seem to be rocket fuelled, they don’t look like they’d be heavy sleepers.
This piece is now in a private collection and is not for sale