HEREFORDSHIRE sculptors Karen and Gordon Green are putting the finishing touches to their latest creation – a brand new take on the Statue of Liberty.

The eight feet tall monumental weathervane is being readied for the grand opening of a new folk art gallery at the American Museum in Britain tomorrow.

In celebration of its 50th year, the museum commissioned the Greens, who were last year’s winners of Hereford Contemporary Craft Fair’s New Exhibitor Award, to design and construct a contemporary version of Lady Liberty.

Located on the outskirts of Bath, the museum is running a lively schedule of events to celebrate its 50th year, including Marilyn – Hollywood Icon and Fab at 50, which will highlight the very best from its 15,000-strong collection of decorative arts.

Although the Greens have been producing bespoke weathervanes and sculptures for over 15 years, Liberty is the largest and most elaborate design ever to leave the studio.

This commission follows a string of large scale artworks commissioned this year including a Spanish bull, a racing yacht and a dancing toad.

Karen and Gordon last year celebrated their second anniversary in the company’s new home in Tyberton near Madley.

“We moved here from Dartmoor, where we were Duchy of Cornwall tenants. When we couldn’t find larger premises there, we decided to move out of the county,” said Karen.

“It’s been a great move as it has brought us closer to our clients.

“I started making weathervanes when I was about 20. I’d graduated from art school with a BA in fine arts and sculpture and was apprenticed to a weathervane maker in Cape Cod, possibly the most famous maker of all, Travis Tuck. I didn’t know then how much weathervanes appealed to me, but I liked the process, the playing with fire, then when Gordon and I realised we wanted to run a creative business, weathervanes seemed appealing to stick with. You can never run out of themes.”

The Greens are also currently exhibiting a range of sculptural works in the main Gallery at The Courtyard in Hereford, an exhibition which is filled with carefully considered, brilliantly crafted sculptural works made from a combination of materials with copper the primary one.

n The Greens’ exhibition is one of three running concurrently at The Courtyard.

Also on display are Angela Howard’s wonderful banners of abstracted colourful forms suspended above the cafe, and a selection of the beautiful intricate work of the Ross Botanical Art Group, showing the wonders of plant life.

Formed by a number of artists working in watercolour, graphite, artists’ coloured pencils and pen and ink, the group all share an enthusiasm for creating original artworks inspired by the natural world.

For details, call the box office on 01432 340555 or visit courtyard.org.uk. For details of the American Museum in Britain, visit americanmuseum.org.