The Legendary Tale of Shaun in The City...

The Legendary Tale of Shaun in The City...

The Legendary Tale of Shaun in The City...

Back in 2015, Aardman’s beloved bleater, Shaun the Sheep, took over the streets of Bristol and London with two iconic sculpture art trails to raise money for sick kids across the South West.

Shaun in the City press launches in London and Bristol. 

A flock of 120 giant Shaun sculptures were designed and decorated by big names from the world of art, fashion, film and animation. Following their stints in iconic locations around the cities, the Shaun sculptures went to auction and raised over £1 million for Bristol Children’s Hospital and St Michael’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in just one night. 


Artist Emily Golden admiring her masterpiece Sparkles the Unicorn from Shaun in the City.  

The Man, the Myth... The Artist  
Today, we’re shining the spotlight on Bristol artist, Emily Golden. Emily has designed several standout sculptures for The Grand Appeal, and our award-winning art trails Shaun in the City and Gromit Unleashed. Sculptures include Nutcracker, Patch, Merry-Go Gromit and more... 


Candy Baa, Emily's first design for Shaun in the City.  

A lover of bold and bright colours, Emily’s first design for Shaun in the City, Candy Baa, transformed Shaun into a sweet treat for the eyes. With candy floss, doughnuts and sprinkles aplenty, this Shaun looked good enough to eat!   
 
When the Bristol trail rolled around, Emily was keen to mix up the palette, this time embracing pastels. Emily said:  
 
“I was very much led by my materials for the second design. After the bright and bold Candy Baa, I was keen to shake things up and experiment with pastels. I had my paints specially mixed to match the colours in my mind. I also discovered a rainbow glitter glaze that I wanted to use to finish my sculpture. So, when I looked at what I collected, and thought of rainbows, glitter and pastels... I thought of unicorns!” 
 
Thus, Sparkles the Unicorn was born.  

Sparkles the unicorn! The perfect gift for unicorn fans. Shaun in the city figurine of the most magical rainbow and glittered unicorn from the sculpture trail.  3/4

Add Sparkles the Unicorn to your figurine collection today. 

Sparkles the Unicorn
Like a phoenix from ashes, Sparkles the Unicorn rose from a glittery mood board, carefully curated by Emily.  

From the perfect pastel blends and statement stars to spell-binding eyes inspired by cute kawaii cartoons, this Shaun is ideal for those looking to add a little extra sparkle to their home.  
 
Bristol’s Unicorns 
You might have spotted Sparkles the Unicorn grazing on Horfield common during the Shaun in the City trail, but there’s a reason this Shaun looks particularly at home in Bristol. Unicorns are actually all over the city, if you look close enough... 

1. Bristol’s Coat of Arms and City Seal 
Sparkles unicorn friends feature with pride on Bristol’s coat of arms and the official city seal. They are said to represent virtue. Legend has it that unicorns will ‘only pay homage to men of virtue’, so let’s hope Sparkles approves of your moral standards! 
 
2. Brunel’s SS Great Britain 
Once the largest passenger ship of her time, the SS Great Britain was designed by Bristol’s own Isambard Kingdom Brunel back in 1843. The first screw-propelled, ocean-going wrought iron ship, she’s also the proud home of multiple unicorns. You can spot them on the coat of arms and proudly posed on the bow of the ship.  

Why not get your shelves looking ship-shape with a unicorn of your own? 
Add Sparkles the Unicorn to your collection today. 



3. Bristol’s College Green 
If you’ve ever looked up at the city hall on College Green, you might have noticed the magic presence of two 12 ft tall bronze guilt unicorns. This specific pair of legendary creatures have a mystical tale of their own... They’re not meant to be there at all!  
 
The story goes that the architect, Vincent E Harris, ordered the unicorns without the council’s knowledge, as they were cheaper than the original decorative edging ordered by the council... You can’t put a price on whimsy!  
 
It’s also rumoured that Vincent positioned the unicorn’s back ends to face the home of someone he didn’t much like, so that they’d be met with a rear end every morning!  
 
Add Sparkles to your flock...  
Although Sparkles heralds from candy floss clouds, this virtuous, baa-eutiful unicorn, is ready to find a new home with you. A magical addition to any bedroom, shelf or cabinet, he’s sure to cast a lovely spell on any beholder! 

Sparkles the Unicorn went to auction and made a whopping £25,000.  

The original Sparkles sculpture sold for an un-baa-lieveable £25,000 at auction, but you can get your paws on the figurine for just £45... So, what are you waiting for?! Whether he’s your first figurine or a new member of your flock, Sparkles the Unicorn is ready to bring some extra magic into your home.  

Add Sparkles the Unicorn to your flock today. Already own this baa-euty?  Take a look at our other Shaun the Sheep figurines.