Sadolin colours bring unique sculptures to life

Dormouseweb version

An artistic element is being added to Sadolin’s superior woodcare credentials with the creation of intricate designs carved by a family-run chainsaw sculpting company.

The West Sussex-based Woodland Centre Ltd gives wind-blown tree trunks and branches a new lease of life with the creative flair of founder and chief ‘imaginator’ Anne Watson and her son-in-law, chainsaw sculpting expert, Dave Lucas.

Dave’s complex carvings of woodland creatures, dinosaurs, wildlife and stunning Beatrix Potter characters are enhanced by Anne’s artistic talents using Sadolin’s protective range of translucent and opaque coatings.

And since launching in 2007, their reputation for crafting unique and functional outdoor art has grown rapidly, with The National Trust, Kew Gardens, The Forestry Commission and Local Authorities across the UK among their prestigious client list.

Anne is a self-taught woodcare artist and says Sadolin was a natural choice given their trust in the product. Having built and decorated their own ‘black and white’ Tudor-style house, where the business is now based, in West Hoathly, West Sussex, they knew Sadolin was both durable and reliable.

“There are many reasons why I chose Sadolin, but not least because of its excellent colour range, its durability and very good ultra-violet and weather protection. From an artistic perspective too, it’s easy to mix up colours and obtain a wide range of one-off shades,” she explained.

And over the years her experimentation with colour and texture has become an important part of the business, with commissions such as vibrant Beatrix Potter and Wind in the Willows characters for Essex Wildlife requiring a keen eye and elaborate shading.

Dave, Anne and her husband and co-owner of the business, David Watson, work primarily with oak all sourced locally. Their son Reg helps to dismantle the timber into usable sizes ready for sculpting.

Explained David: “We aim to give trees a second life and truly do them justice with our sculptures, especially as some of the wood can be hundreds of years old. We create anything from small commissions for families looking for a truly personalised gift, to sculptures such as our acoustic chairs – enclosed seats hollowed out of a single piece of wood that can take many forms, including even a dinosaur’s egg.”

Sadolin Classic Wood Protection absorbs deep into the timber to provide exceptional protection against the weather. As well as its unusual use on chainsaw sculptures, this product is particularly effective on large areas of timber such as cladding, fascias, decking and rough sawn timber. It is also ideal as a base stain on new joinery when overcoated with Sadolin Extra.

Next to receive the Woodland Centre’s colour treatment are a series of fairy tree houses which will be adorned in pastel Sadolin colours for The Forestry Commission, while a 9ft high tree trunk, is waiting in the wings for Dave’s and Anne’s imaginations to visualise its new artistic lease of life.

 

Your nearest Sadolin store
Sadolin colours bring unique sculptures to life
2016-04-29T09:37:11+00:00
The Sadolin Team