Clare in line for award

An artist at Welshpool firm Pear Stairs is in line for a prestigious national award after her pear-themed designs made the shortlist for the Print, Design and Marketing Awards 2017.

Based in Mid Wales but operating right across the UK, Pear Stairs Pear is part of Boys & Boden Ltd, which owns builders’ merchant branches in Welshpool, Chester, Newtown, Llandrindod Wells and Shrewsbury.

Clare Harper has been nominated in the Wide and Super-Wide format category for her transformation of the company’s delivery vehicles. The winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held in London on Thursday.

When the company acquired its own fleet, Clare was handed an open brief to produce a livery. She came up with a range of surreal designs that give a massive pear-shaped twist to a host of iconic paintings.

The theme was initially inspired by MC Escher’s engraving Relativity with its never-ending impossible staircase.

Vermeer’s The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Rene Magritte’s Son of Man and Damien Hirst’s A Pear Divided are just a few examples of the works given the Pear Stairs twist, along with Salvador Dali’s famous melting clocks – or rather, pears – and even Munch’s The Scream.  

“An entire vehicle is devoted to a tribute to Heironymus Bosch where, after enjoying themselves in the Garden of Earthly Delights, some of the pears can be seen getting their just desserts,” said Clare.

The designs were printed at eye-popping proportions on to vinyl lorry curtains by specialist manufacturer Structure-flex Ltd, which is also nominated for the award.

“There are not that many times in an artist’s career where the client says, ‘Do anything you want as long as it’s amazing.’ It’s exhilarating and daunting at the same time. So when I heard those magic words I ran with them,” said Clare.

“The best ideas are the ones that snowball. Every image inspires another and the concept grows out of itself – that’s when I know I am producing my best art. It’s a privilege and a joy to work for someone who shows such faith in my abilities.”