Brewers Decorator Centres are a proud sponsor of Follow that Duck 2022, a quacking art trail event taking place this summer!

If you have enjoyed seeing the rubber duck and rubber duckling sculptures on the streets of Hastings, St Leonards on Sea and Bexhill on Sea this summer, you may be saddened to learn that the Follow that Duck trail ends on Monday 5th September. The sculptures have formed an art trail for the last ten weeks – bringing colour, creativity and a real talking point to the three coastal towns.

But there is one final opportunity to see all the sculptures together on 17th and 18th September at East Sussex Coast College, as they will be on display in a mass exhibition for a final farewell weekend. St Michael’s Hospice will be unveiling two special rubber duckling sculptures which have until now, have remained in hiding. To find out more, and book your tickets the Farewell Event please visit www.followthatduck.co.uk/events/

In October the rubber ducklings will be returned to the schools and community groups who created such fabulous pieces of artwork, a lasting memento to be celebrated for years to come. The large rubber ducks and two special ducklings, will appear at the Hook a Duck Auction on Friday 7th October, raising money for the Hospice. If you have fallen in love with one of these fabulous ducks, register to come along to the auction led by Kevin Wall at Rye Auction Galleries Ltd at www.followthatduck.co.uk/events/ 
If you have any questions about either event please contact the Follow that Duck team at info@followthatduck.co.uk 

1.    How long have you been an artist for?

I have always loved art and creating things and after I left school, I enrolled on a degree course in Glass and Ceramics at Sunderland University and later completed a MA in Glass. Since then, I have worked in the arts sector in Tyne and Wear and my current job is within the learning and engagement team at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead. Here I work with local families and school groups and help bring our exhibitions to life though workshops and exhibitions.

2.    What pieces do you normally paint?

I am less of a painter and more of a graphic artist, and for my art trail sculptures I use digital designs which I bring to life using vinyl stencils which I apply to the surface. This means I can ensure my finished piece is an exact match to my design. Back in my student days, I worked mostly with glass as a medium and my word was very precise, usually geometric in shape. 

3.    What other art trails have you been a part of?

I have been lucky enough to be part of two trials in my local area, both in support of St Oswald’s Hospice. In 2016 I painted a Snowdog for the Great North Snowdogs trail and in 2019 I created two sculptures for Elmer’s Great North Parade. I also painted a Hare for Hares Gone Wild in Southend  and an elephant for Luton’s Big Trunk Trail, both in 2021.

4.    What was the inspiration behind the design of your duck?

I really like the shape of the duck sculpture so wanted to create something where that was the focus, so my design was made up of hundreds of small ducks. I designed it so that they were all in different rainbow colours, facing different directions to give impact and the feeling of movement.

5.    What was the process behind painting the duck?

The process I used is probably very different from the others artists and it was a very time consuming! But I really like the very sharp, uniform finished effect, so I think it was worth the hours spend lying on the floor, staring up at the duck! I use a vinyl cutter to cut our negative stencils from a digital design, I then attached the stencils to the surface and start to apply paint. The different layers are built up and eventually the stencils removed, leaving behind some very crisp duck shapes! To explain better how I do it, I have created a short video of the process. 

6.    Were there any obstacles when painting the duck?

Only that I usually paint in my kitchen, which is large and has little furniture in it. Unfortunately the duck was so wide, he wouldn’t fit through my hall, so I has to enlist the help of neighbours to lift him over my back fence, through my French doors and then into my living room, which is where I painted him! (see photo). We has to cover the floor and sofa in case of any spilled paint but there were no mishaps luckily. 

7.    What was your favourite part of the duck painting process?

I loved it when the first vinyl came off, revealing the completed duck underneath. It was very satisfying to see just how sharp the lines were.

8.    What was it like using Albany paint?

The Albany paint was fantastic to use, the colours all worked brilliantly and the paint has a nice thick texture which meant I didn’t have to use as many coats as I have done with previous sculptures. 

9.    How long did the duck take to paint?

Probably a lot longer than you’d think – I lost count to be honest! Because of the way it is put together, it is a very slow process with each layer having to be added and then more vinyl's to be applied. There were also over 150 individual ducks, each with several parts to them, so it really was a challenge in the time I had, alongside my full time job! It was all worth it though, to see him come together, I am excited to see the reception him and his flock receive on the trail this summer.