EBRS is proud to be supporting Wow! Gorillas in celebration of the 175th anniversary of Bristol Zoo Gardens.
Artists decorated 50 life-size gorillas which were on display at locations around Bristol over the summer, creating a unique, mass public art event.
Gorillas were sponsored by local businesses to raise funds to support gorilla conservation projects and Bristol charity Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal.
EBRS sponsored ‘Splodge’ (pictured with Karl - he's on the right of the photo!), who was placed outside the Colston Hall in central Bristol.
In September, at the end of the event, the gorillas were auctioned for charity. We're pleased to say that Splodge was sold for a massive £6,000 for the two charities involved!
You can find out more about project by clicking the Wow! Gorillas logo at the bottom of the page.
Meet Splodge and his painter, Emily Trotter!
Splodge was decorated by talented Bristol-based painter and illustrator Emily Trotter.
Emily had previously been commissioned to paint several murals at Bristol Zoo before being asked in November to paint Splodge, the flagship Gorilla for the project.
She told us: "I painted him for display at the 'Wow! Gorillas' launch event, using the vibrant colours to embody the beauty and variety of life on earth.
Painting the gorillas was a great experience for me as I usually work on flat surfaces of one kind or another. Having a life size gorilla as a blank canvas is very exciting in comparison! Those 'hard to reach' areas underneath were the trickiest parts, I felt a bit like a mechanic lying on my back underneath and painting upside down!"
Emily's talents have already been recognised, as she has painted two other gorillas for the project - "Cheeky Check-Up" and "Irene", for Bristol Rovers Football Club.
She has also written and illustrated several children's books and is approaching publishers with them looking for a deal.
