IT’S one hundred up for artist, Mik Richardson, as his Octopus Ahoy! designs ‘sea’ him hit a century of art trail sculptures across the UK. His artwork has now appeared in Wild in Art’s Go Elephants, The Stand Tall for Colchester Zoo, Go Go Gorillas 2013 and many more trails. Mik’s designs, ‘Sailor Buoy’, ‘Journey of a Thousand Stars’ and ‘Octopuss in Boots’, were picked by sponsors and will adorn the streets of Tendring and Essex between 25th June-5th September.
His ‘Journey of a Thousand Stars’ design commemorates the amazing journey of the Mayflower, using just the stars and constellations to navigate by. ‘Octopuss in Boots’ is a fun creation around the famous character Puss in Boots and will showcase scenes from Harwich to America on its base. Whereas the play on words, ‘Sailor Buoy’, gives another nod to the Mayflower crew and will feature comical style marine life imagery.
Mik Richardson said: “Public art trails have really formed a large part of my life over the last decade and they are always great fun to be involved with. It’s a fantastic way to get art in front of people and help people engage with it. I enjoy the whole process from designing the artwork that fits the theme of the trail through to seeing them out on the streets. The huge amount these projects raise for charity too just tops off the experience for me.”
At the end of the project on 5th September, all large Octopus Ahoy! Sculptures, including Mik’s, will go up for auction to raise vital funds for local charities across Tendring and Essex.
