Staff at building and plumbing merchants Boys & Boden are celebrating after one of its employees was shortlisted for a prestigious award. Artist Clare Harper was one of only four competitors to make the final of the national Print, Design and Marketing Awards 2017.
Based in Mid Wales, Boys & Boden runs multiple DIY and plumbing branches in Shrewsbury, Welshpool, Newton, Llandrindod Wells and Chester. It also owns staircase manufacturer Pear Stairs, for which Clare produced her designs.
Clare was nominated for her makeover of Pear Stairs’ delivery vehicles, which she decorated with surreal designs paying tribute (in a pear-shaped way) to a range of iconic artworks. MC Escher’s Relativity with its never-ending staircase, Damien Hirst’s A Pear Divided, Edvard Munch’s The Scream and Salvador Dali’s famous melting clocks are just a few of the famous paintings to have been given a pear-themed twist.
The latest lorry displays a tribute to fantastical Dutch artist Heironymus Bosch, showing pears cavorting in the Garden of Earthly Delights before getting their just desserts in a mind-boggling depiction of Hell. And looking beyond our galaxy, Clare even dreamt up a dramatic delivery van devoted to Star Wars – or, rather, Stair Wars.
The designs were transferred onto vinyl lorry curtains by specialist firm Structure-flex Ltd, which was also shortlisted for the award. The final was held recently in London, and although in the end Clare was narrowly pipped to the post by another entry, her unique works of art were highly commended by the panel of judges.
Clare said: “Whilst cruising past the great, iconic landmarks of London enjoying a particularly lavish lunch aboard the Silver Sturgeon, it surprised me to learn so many new and interesting facts about the world of marketing and print. Although it’s slightly disappointing not to have come first, it was an honour to be shortlisted and I have come back to work with renewed energy and lots of fresh ideas.”
Visit www.pearstairs.co.uk for more details.
