Ten things you (probably) didn’t know about Tim Cotterill…
1 – Although he’s most famous for his frogs, one of Tim’s favourite pieces of his own work is a kingfisher – they were, he says, very ‘exotic’ when he was growing up in Leicester.
2 – When he’s not creating beautiful bronze creatures, Tim spends his time designing and making ‘rolling sculptures’ – his spectacular Rocket Trikes, one of which, Rocket 3, featured on the Emmy Award-winning US TV show, Jay Leno’s Garage.
3 – Tim is very physically fit, which he attributes to his trainer, a former Mr California who also had a bit part in the movie Jaws 3.
4 – The average number of frogs owned by the ‘frogaholics’ (which is what Tim calls his collectors) is 18.
5 – Every year, Tim makes a special Mother’s Day piece, always featuring flowers, in tribute to his mum.
6 – Tim likes to put on a show for collectors who come to his personal appearances. They can feature raffles, quizzes, giveaways and – always – one of Tim’s extensive collection of flamboyant jackets.
7 - Tim says ‘a frog will only eat something that moves’ – which is why, more often than not, his pieces feature a bug of some description for the frog to focus on.
8 – The jewel-like patinas of Tim’s animals and birds are the result of years of experimentation. Tim exposes a variety of chemicals, pigments and dyes to high temperatures to create them – the exact ‘recipes’ are a closely-guarded secret.
9 – It takes between five and seven weeks to create each sculpture, with most having a limited edition of between 200 and 500.
10 - Each year, Tim produces a calendar featuring photographs of his work alongside images from his archive. Each page has an inspiring quote, many from Tim himself – in 2019, he’ll be reminding us that: “If you haven’t grown up by the age of 50, you don’t have to!”