This summer we’ve partnered with the charity Bee Friendly Trust to raise awareness of the importance of protecting urban bees. We’ve even got a colony of our own up on the rooftops at The Yards, so it’s a cause close to our hearts.
In order to celebrate these hard-working pollinators, we’ve enlisted the help of four amazing artists to create a trail of bold bee-inspired installations.
Illustrator Charlie Davis created a beautiful mural for The Yards & The Bees. We caught up with him to find out more about his influences and inspirations.
A keen observer of nature
Charlie Davis is a London based illustrator whose work often takes inspiration from nature. When it came to finding artists for our bee-inspired trail, he was the perfect choice.
Charlie likes to describe his artistic style as ‘nostalgic, bold and graphic, often playing with light, simple patterns and texture’. These were the key elements brought to life in his mural for The Yards and The Bees.
At 50ft tall, Charlie’s mural is an impressive sight, and has created a floral oasis of calm in the heart of The Yards.
‘Wildflowers’
For his piece for The Yards & The Bees, Charlie was inspired by the wildflowers that bees pollinate, as well as the positivity that arises from encouraging natural flowers and bees to thrive in urban areas.
From initial sketches to final piece, Charlie’s process is a carefully considered journey. We brought his vibrant floral illustration design to life in the form of an enormous wall mural stretching up into the sky.
The sight of wildflowers towering up urban architecture makes for a bold and beautiful spectacle.
Take it in at The Yards today
With this striking mural, Charlie wanted to capture a sense of ‘nature rising and bees thriving.’ We think he’s done just that.
The Yards is certainly a quiet oasis of calm away from the hustle and bustle of Central London. Charlie’s nature-inspired mural adds to this serene atmosphere.
Enjoy coffee and cake at Stanfords while you take in the scale of his artwork, or have an al fresco lunch with a view – both temper and Maison Bab now have extended terrace seating.
‘Wildflowers’ is located in Mercer Walk at The Yards.
Read more of our Meet the Maker series here – we also caught up with artists Abbey Lossing, Thomas Burden and Helen Musselwhite.
Have you visited The Yards & The Bees yet?
Come down to The Yards now to discover our bee-inspired installations, explore the shops and enjoy our restaurants with extra al fresco seating to see the artwork from. Don’t forget to share all your photos with us – use #TheYardsAndTheBees to show us all your snaps!
Plus, keep your eyes peeled for more information on a series of bee-inspired workshops, coming to The Yards later this summer. All proceeds will go towards Bee Friendly Trust.