Ground art

    So what is 'ground art' well to me it means something that will look bettter on the ground than in the air,something that the public can safely interact with and kids can touch.Most will need some sort of support in the form of a banner pole or anchor.The item is inflated by the wind through vents built into it and is always pointing into the wind,from a small windmill spinner to a huge spikey ball these low to the ground items are as popular as the kites with the public.

Ladybird theme

     The ladybird theme were the first of my ground art items to be brought,made by Gombergs in the U.S.A. the ladybirds (or ladybugs as the americans would say) come in three sizes 2',4' and 6' and come in any colours you want.I like to stick to the original colours of our ladybird red with black spots and brought some.

  I had purchased  1x6' 2x4' and 5x2' ones to make my 'Ladybird family' and soon had them out on the green to see how to set them up in the best way.Each ladybird has two side tags to be pegged down by and also one from the front on the bridle line so three anchors will be needed in the form of tent pegs.

 I brought a ladybird bag from a gift shop to keep the theme in making it easier to find in the kite room,also one day I was walking around the bootfair and see some ideal ladybird garden stakes and after a small modification to them they made the perfect stakes to hold down the ladybirds and for only 50p each.

 The last thing I have added in the theme are 2x2 metre banners that I saw at a garden centre  but that will not be this theme finished yet it still is in need of some sort of 'flying ladybird' which will be added in soon.

The ostrich farm
 
 
 
 
The ostrich farm is a new 2011 theme that Peter Smith (sky art) and myself are building up,Pete has 3 'heads up' and I have 3 'heads up' and 2 'heads down' making a nice display of eight ostrich.The birds are very animated in a light wind 5-15mph and have that amusment of the ostrich with his head in the sand,the theme looks at its best set up on a beach or better still sand dunes.
 
   So far the ostrich are the only thing in the theme but later some eggs will be added and the much larger 'mum and dad' ostrich making these ones look like the babies.
 
    The ostrich have to be set up on a 3m banner pole and needs sand stakes in each foot they get inflated by the wind in the beak and body of the ostrich,the 'heads down' ones have another sand stake in the head tag and covered by a ring of sand.
 
 
  

The turtles

 

 

One of my personal favourites is the group of turtle.

      Nine in all and the quickest and easiest theme to set up each turtle have sand weights in its feet and is vented at the nose where the bridle also is fixed to.The turtle works best with the bridle line at about a foot above the hieght of the turtle for maximum animation.

   The theme can go a few ways,at the moment all the turtle have extra is their start and finishing banners which make them look like that they are racing.Often the public say that the turtles are tortoises so by adding a 'Hare' to this theme would make it something for the public to relate with,the story of 'The tortiose and the hare'.Also some eggs hatching into the turtles will work well but even just the turtles by themselves are very well liked by the public

 A great time at the 'Music on the meadow' venue...get ready,get set.......go!!
    
       Sand or grass the turtles look superb and work well in a 10-15mph wind,made by Colours in motion this attraction draws in the children and parents alike and we have great fun with them too.