When Triodos Bank UK wanted to celebrate twenty-five years of operations from their Bristol headquarters in 2021, they commissioned me to make a sculpture for them.

​Triodos specialise in ethical banking and the fact that all the timbers used came from sustainable sources was very important. The owl was chosen as a subject to symbolise ‘the wisdom and vision of Triodos’ founders’.

​The body of the owl is Lawson Cypress timber which was cut down during landscaping work at Ashton Court in Bristol and the feet are lime timber sourced from essential tree works on the same estate. The beak is hornbeam timber from a tree removed during building works at Southmead hospital in Bristol; the eyes and talons are greenheart timber from the Victorian North Junction lock gates into Bristol harbour which were replaced in 2011. It’s a very Bristolian bird! The oak branch used as a perch was an offcut from a playground project by Bristol-based company TouchwoodPlay and the base is reclaimed oak.

​This sculpture was unveiled by HRH Princess Anne and is currently welcoming visitors in the entrance foyer of the bank’s UK headquarters.