The Willow Tree Figurine Collectable Range was launched in January 2000. Initially the collection comprised just one figurine, fifteen angels, and the Christmas Nativity collection. Since those early days, the range has expanded massively to include sentiments that many of us wish to express, but find that we can't do sufficiently with flowers, chocolates or greetings cards; emotions to our nearest and dearest friends and family, maybe to a kind neighbour, a teacher, a minister, or just someone who has done us a good turn.

What originally inspired the Willow Tree collection is still relevant today. It's a personal, intimate range of figurines, angels, memory boxes and photo frames each representing sentiments and qualities that enable us to feel near to others. Wounds are healed, relationships are renewed, promises confirmed. Willow Tree were originally, and still are, borne and developed by the American artist, Susan Lordi. Susan hand carves each and every piece, holding in mind an emotional thought or sentiment. In this way, she ?evolves? the figurine as she brings out the particular emotion she is aiming to convey. It's quite staggering how Susan is able to evoke the most complex of sentiments with the simplest of pure gestures and looks. Her art form expresses beautifully the feelings of closeness, courage, love, hope, even regret and even bereavement.

How did Susan Lordi come up with the name ?Willow Tree?. She chose it because, when she looked at a weeping willow, she saw expressed in its sweeping fronds and strong, unyielding branches, an elegance, a simple beckoning gesture that seemed to be beyond words. Her figurines seem to be almost tree-like in structure. They frequently can be seen to be bearing animals or natural objects. These have an almost allegorical role as symbols for mankind's qualities or virtues; remembrance is represented by rosemary, healing by a bird, and beauty by a flower.

Willow Tree figurines are sculpted to imply simplicity, elegance, serenity and peace. It's the little subtle elements, those that could be so easily missed, that are the most effective in transmitting emotion. It could be the way the head is tilted, the hands are placed, the body is turned. It's up to the ?beholder? to discern the emotion. No-one can do it for you. But anyone with an ounce of sensitivity cannot help but be affected by the powerful, yet personal and gentle emotions evoked by the Susan Lordi Willow Tree Figurine collection.

Susan Lordi's work tells us so much about how we relate to our friends, neighbours, family members and the world around us. Susan has an acute sense of humanity, both the human form and the soul. From a young age, she was an enthusiastic ballet dancer and was fond of nature too. All these influences are carried through to make her Willow Tree figurines the amazing worldwide success that they are today.

As well as working in the field of sculpture, Susan has a background in textiles, but figurine sculpture is now decidedly her first love.

For further information, please visit our website at http://www.theukgiftcompany.co.uk