Colourful palette of flowers with giant paintbrush sculpture
At Natureworks we love working on weird and wonderful projects, so when we’re asked to create a giant paintbrush, our eyes light up! Big Things are a specialty of ours, and this one was designed to act as a visual centrepiece for a display at Canberra’s Floriade Australia 2024 flower festival.
Art in bloom – literally!
Floriade celebrates the coming of Spring in Australia with beautiful displays of colourful blooms at Canberra’s Commonwealth Park. 2024 is the 37th year of Floriade, and the theme is ‘Art in Bloom’. Reflecting this theme literally, our giant paintbrush sits amid a ‘palette’ formed by carefully selected colourful flowers.
About the giant paintbrush sculpture…
- The paintbrush handle is painted bright pink to match the Floriade brand colour
- The Floriade logo is painted on the paintbrush handle
- The ‘bristles’ are made from acrylic, cut in layers – it has a hollow interior with internal wiring
- The top of the brush lights up to add interest at night-time events
- The brush is mounted on a natural slant to reflect how an artist would hold a paintbrush
- The base plate is 8mm steel, with an artificial turf cover
- The handle is made from polystyrene, with an internal steel rod for support
- The brush handle is finished with a polyurethane hard coat for weather protection
- As an event prop, it is built to last for at least the duration of the event (4 weeks). If you would like something similar as a permanent display, we can build a heavier duty version (just ask us).
"The artist’s palette is where colours mix and blend to create unique masterpieces. The palette itself transforms into a beautiful, textured and colourful artwork.”
The giant paintbrush in production
The images below show the paintbrush at various stages of design and production.
The production process
Starting from the client’s brief and site reference information, our team created sketches and CAD drawings for approval. We then sculpted the paintbrush handle from polystyrene. Meanwhile, we prototyped and laser cut the curved acrylic bristles and installed wiring and lights inside.
To finish, we built a steel mounting plate, and finished the brush in the client’s brand colours, followed by a weatherproof hard coating.
Floriade 2024 is on from 14 September to 13 October, in Canberra, Australia. If you can, why not visit to see our giant paintbrush and enjoy the amazing floral displays and family attractions!
Celebrities enjoy Floriade
British comedian and author David Walliams visited Floriade a couple of days before it opened on September 14 2024. Here is a video of him at the event – look carefully in the first few seconds to spot the giant paintbrush!
Project details
| Client | ACT Government Events |
| Project | Giant Paintbrush for Floriade 2024 – ‘Art in Bloom’ theme |
| Audience | All visitors to the flower festival, young and old |
| Location | Commonwealth Park, Regatta Place, Parkes, Canberra (see map) (Displayed from 14 Sep – 13 Oct 2024) |
| Date completed | August 2024 |
| Related products | Visual merchandising props, Big Things – objects |
| Related catalogues | Big Things |
| Similar projects | Giant Hearts, Power of Public Art, Cloud Reef sculpture, Bronze Lion sculpture for club |
Public art and Big Things draw in visitors
This project shows how art can be integrated into gardens and public events to draw attention and support a theme. Natureworks loves working on projects that get people outside appreciating nature!
If you would like a unique Big Thing or art sculpture for your event or community, we can design and fabricate just about anything! See our custom design process or contact Natureworks to discuss ideas.
