Artist provides a focal point for care home

Longhurst Group, which is behind the 60-unit development, commissioned the artwork to act as a focal point in the garden area of the scheme.

The structure was designed and constructed by local artist Jeni Cairns, who specialises in metal work based on a theme of nature.

Jeni said: “I like to be around nature. It has a strength, but also a fragility so when I create a sculpture, it looks fragile but is made out of a strong material.

“I live a few miles from Willow Court, so I think Denise (Banks, Head of Interior Design at Longhurst Group) liked the fact I was local and worked with metals. We met and had a look at the space – she said she wanted something bold and based around a willow tree.

“I took the idea of a weeping willow as I like the way the leaves hang down. I wanted to create the tree in a three-dimensional way and to make it abstract to an extent.

“The piece took me a couple of weeks to complete and the whole process was really good. Denise was great as she had lots of ideas, but also gave me lots of scope to do my own thing. Personally, I also really like it and think it will be a wonderful focal point in the garden of Willow Court.”

Willow Court is Longhurst Group’s £9.3 million state-of-the-art care complex which will offer 47 one-bedroom apartments and 13 two-bedroom properties for the elderly, as well as a residents’ lounge, restaurant, hair salon and therapy room, micro-shop and communal gardens.

Denise Banks, Head of Interior Design, decided to approach Jeni to complete the piece to add an additional feature to the garden space.

She said: “I was really keen to add an attraction to the garden area at Willow Court and thought the best way to do that was to have a sculpture resembling a willow tree.

“A colleague of mine first introduced me to Jeni and I have been keen to involve the local community where I can in the design process of Willow Court, so with her being local, it was a perfect fit.

“We agreed a modest budget and when I got her sketch through, I was delighted with what she had proposed.

“I am over the moon with the finished piece. It looks fantastic and has certainly already been a talking point for visitors who want to know more about it.

“We will also be installing a plaque naming the sculpture and the artist, so it really 
can be a highlight of the garden.”

The sculpture can also be enjoyed by anybody with a visual impairment, as the leaves have been designed to incorporate a wind-chime effect.