Adding a water feature when landscaping your grounds or incorporating one into your garden room design injects a sense of vitality and beauty into the area.
Fountains were used as drinking and gathering places throughout history before gradually evolving over the years into stunning centrepieces for homes and gardens. Nowadays, depending on available space and budget, you can choose every type of water feature imaginable from compact creations to vast statement pieces.
Giles Rayner has been creating water sculptures since 2000 for private gardens, parks, businesses and galleries both throughout the UK and internationally. He specialises in using copper, stainless steel and bronze, resulting in imaginative and highly individual designs. The use of moving water brings each design to life, achieving either the desired sense of drama or peace.
By combining traditional skills and modern technology, Giles can create precise and innovative pieces of work that fit timelessly with their surrounding landscape and architecture. Although most of his sculptures are individual commissions, limited editions or variations can be made to some of the existing designs. Most works are priced at between £10,000 to £20,000.
Contemporary creations
Muse The Sculpture Gallery is a specialist sculpture dealer operating out of offices and a gallery in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. The company also attends the most important art fairs and events such as yhe Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair which runs three times a year in Battersea Park. Launched in 1985, it was the first major London fair to combine formal and decorative antiques with art and accessories for the interior decorating buyer, and one of the earliest antiques events to introduce post-war and mid-century modern design, re-purposed antiques and contemporary art.
Muse offers contemporary sculpture in bronze, stone and glass in both monumental and more intimate scales for interior and exterior use. A complete installation service is available as well as worldwide shipping and advice on restoration and valuation.
Heritage pieces
Established 40 years ago, Architectural Heritage is situated in the galleries and grounds of Taddington Manor in the heart of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire. The family business is currently operated by second generation member, Alex Puddy. He reports that, as well as traditional standalone and wall fountains, troughs which have long been used as substantial planters, are becoming increasingly popular as water features. All the work required to transform them can be carried out in Architectural Heritage’s workshops.
As one of England’s leading specialists in period garden ornament and statuary, the company always aims to source the finest pieces from the 17th to the early part of the 20th century. It has also recently expanded its remit to incorporate modern British sculpture for the landscape and home from the mid-20th century onwards.
