In 2012 Redhills Community Primary School won Ellie the Elephant through a competition launched through the Express and Echo.

Ellie was made of willow and eventually went the way of all natural materials, so the school decided to replace her with another sculpture which the children could make.

In September 2014 me and class teacher Mrs Brown devised a project called Mythical Creatures that combined literacy and art. Over a 2 day workshop I lead the children in, imagining and drawing creatures, and then transforming them into willow sculptures. The class then continued over a number of weeks building the sculptures, covering them in tissue paper and writing stories around them.

One of the sculptures was placed outside in the garden where Ellie had stood, guarding a small cluster of trees. The others were suspended from the dining hall ceiling to be enjoyed during lunch times.