Five times awarded 5 Gold Stars at RHS Chelsea
Neverland in Your Garden
The Timeless
Appeal of Peter Pan
The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Few stories have planted themselves so firmly in our imaginations as J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. First seen on stage in 1904 – and later on the page in the 1911 novel titled Peter and Wendy – the free-spirited boy who never grew up has always been an enduring symbol of imagination, adventure, and the fleeting wonder of childhood. Over a century later, he can still carry us away to Neverland, if only for a moment.
Bringing Peter Pan to Bronze
Peter Pan was one of the first five sculptures we ever made, more than seventeen years ago. Like a few of those early pieces, he was sculpted in the attic of Bob’s home in Dorset – not a huge space, but one where ideas could quietly take shape.
Capturing Flight and Expression
The biggest question was how to show flight in a still sculpture. Peter appears relaxed, almost floating, yet the only support runs subtly through his hand, which touches the ground. It’s a small trick of balance that gives him lightness while keeping him secure.
Then there was the portrait. Peter never grows up, so his face needed to feel like a boy’s but also timeless. His expression landed somewhere between mischief and innocence – ageless, and unmistakably Peter. He is poised mid-story, with Tinker Bell nearby. She hovers just above him, caught in a delicate moment as if lifted straight from Barrie’s pages.
Peter and Tinker Bell
Of course, Peter’s adventures wouldn’t be complete without Tinker Bell. Their friendship has always been at the heart of the story – loyal, fiery, and mischievous. In the sculpture, she hovers above him, small and delicate, and the two seem to respond to one another in a quiet dance.
Installation Memories
One of our favourite memories is of Peter on a tiny island in a garden pond. Using two long wooden planks, he was carefully carried across and fixed to a stone base. From the bank, it looked as though he were levitating above the water, his reflection shimmering beneath him. A little touch of theatre, perfectly in keeping with his character.
A Quiet Favourite
There’s an almost quiet magnetism about Peter Pan that is forever appealing – he finds those with a soft spot for the story, or for the spirit of youth itself. We keep one in our new gallery, with Tinker Bell hovering above, and he always raises a smile. As much through its grand aesthetic as the simple, familiar magic of a character who has lived in our imaginations for generations.
A Piece to Treasure
Our Peter Pan and Tinker Bell bronze celebrates imagination, youth, and companionship. Made over seventeen years ago as part of our earliest work, Peter is still delightfully captivating – a sculpture that carries the charm of Neverland and the enduring magic of Barrie’s story.
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