Elmer the Patchwork Elephant leads a sculpture trail in Maidstone, Kent this summer following a few similar trails around the country in the past couple of years. The sculpture trail aims to raise money for Heart of Kent Hospice. The trail is a collaboration between the hospice, Wild in Art, and other local businesses. The sculptures were put in place at the end of June and will remain in place to be enjoyed until the end of August. Each of the Elmer sculptures is sponsored by a local business, and there are fifty-one in total around the city centre and further afield. They are placed to enable visitors to discover new areas of Maidstone. Thirty smaller Elmer sculptures have been painted by local schools and youth organisations.
"Eleploral" - Jess Perrin
I found almost all of the elephants in one day except for the one located at Leeds Castle, and one of them had been damaged within the first week of the trail and needed to be repaired. It is difficult to pick a favourite, but one of my favourites was "Heart of the Garden", and "Flora" was also a favourite, but there were so many nice ones.
"Pink Fizz" - Esme Wells
"Elmer's Maidstone" - Elaine Gill
"Memory Balloons" - Jill Busby and "Magical Mystery Tour" - Emma Graham
"Eleplant" - Sally Adams
"Patchwork Elmer" - created by David McKee, painted by Michelle Turton
"Sunset Plains" - Adam Worton
"The Gentleman Explorer" - Reilly Creative
"The Amazing Elmerphant" - Everlyn Sinclair
"Steam Elmer" - Richard 'Squarecube' Jeferies
"Beside the Seaside" - Jane Mota
"HMS Dazzelmere" - Oliver Jordan
"Mymmyphant" - MrASingh and "Not Everything is Black and White" - Mik Richardson
"Never Forget" - Nathan Reed
"Flora" - Emma Graham
"Spotty Dotty" - Susan Webber
"Plot" - Jessican Goddard and "Just Bee Elmer" - Helen Alexander-Bristow
"Raining Cats & Dogs" - Traci Moss and "True to Type" - Emma Dove
"Love the Skin You're In" - Mik Richardson
"Heart of the Garden" - Lois Cordelia
"Gallagher" - Michelle Carpenter
"Lucy" - Emma Graham
"Strawberry Fields Forever" - Emma Graham
"Zebrelmer" by Hil Sanderson and "Nelly" - Denise McCoid
"Ele-vate, Encourage, Embrace" - Karen Hiscock-King
"Elemon" - Deven Bhurke
"Elmerfish" - Hil Sanderson
"Elm" - Sally Adams
"Seasons of Life" - Lois Cordelia
"Zoo Park Shennanigans" - The Brown Studio and "Bruno Bisophant" - Bison Print
"Strawberry Deuce" - Megan Evans
"Olympiphant" - Anne-Marie Byrne and "Solace" - Emma Dove
The sculptures will be in place until just before the end of August, and there is also a chance to sign up in advance in order to see them all together in one place before they are auctioned off.
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