We've been adopted!

She who owns the sofa rules the house!

Max and I have been adopted. 
We believe this little brown cat belongs to a neighbour but she spends almost all day every day with us. Perhaps because she likes company and Max and I are nearly always at home, or it may be all our lovely soft, cosy surfaces!
And doesn't she look at home among the cushions?
That cute wink says it all; "these fools are my kind of people" :)

The dying duck & fabulous sculptures of Florentijn Hofman

There's something oddly poignant about the death of this rubber duck by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman: as air leaked out in Hong Kong harbour this week, one has to ask if Hofman's Rubber Duck Project has perished.. perished... got it?!

Check out Florentijn Hofman's many sculptural projects - he's a man with a mission and someone who has succeeded not only in delighting people (especially children, as you'll see from his website) with his artworks but in making a name for himself around the world with large scale sculptures of animals and everyday objects. 

I for one hope Big Rubber Ducky lives to float another day :)

Hofman's Big Yellow Rabbit appeared at Sweden's Orebro OpenART expo in 2011. From www.florentijnhofman.nl

Aardman's Gromit in multi-dog Bristol Art Trail this summer!

Superlambanana, Liverpool 2008

Anything that takes art to the masses is alright with me, however dumbed-down some among us may claim that art to be. 
I've particularly enjoyed the global outbreaks of model animals painted by designers or corporations or even by schoolchildren.  

Seattle Pig Art, 2009

Cow Parade, Peru 2009

The more widely a herd of brightly painted cows or sheep or pigs or polar bears are seen and appreciated, and hopefully raise money for good causes, the more I like it :)
Today I discovered my favourite British animated character, Gromit, of Aardman Animations' Wallace & Gromit fame, has got in on the act.

Wallace & Gromit

Socially conscious Aardman launched 'Wallace & Gromit's Grand Appeal' after a public charity appeal to build a new children's hospital in Bristol, 17 years ago.
Following a successful display and auction of designed zoo gorillas in 2011, there's to be a trail of 70 of the 1.5mtr high, Oscar-winning Gromits around Aardman's home city from July.
In September the statues will be sold off to raise funds for Bristol Children's Hospital.

A few of the 70 Gromits being displayed in Bristol from July, by Brit designers Sir Paul Smith & Cath Kidston, illustrator Simon Tofield & animator Richard Williams

Don't they look fabulous?!
Read more about Bristol's Gromit Art Trail here or here for the full story by Aardman and Gromit creator Nick Park.
Don't forget to take your (big!) poo-bags :)

Now linked to Saatchi online!

I should be working on another painting but, well, I've been spending some time marketing myself.
It's been quite exciting and although my page isn't by any means completed, I am now listed on the online Saatchi website! You'll find me at www.saatchionline.com/LizzyHewitt
So now I'm sharing web space with great artists from around the world like those featured in the fantastic Saatchi Online Magazine. 
I particularly liked this painting from the Lemon Fizz collection by fellow UK artist, John Pimlott, as introduced in the Saatchi Online Magazine 2012 Year in Review.

Lemon Fizz by John Pimlott at Saatchi Online

Last of the new white hot motors

A great fit for A Right Royal Street Party inside the 'last of the new white hot motors'!

Having NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the fact that my paintings of increasing size no longer fit inside our old car, Max put his foot down with a firm hand and insisted we buy a new one!
I was worried we might end up with a van but Max knows a thing or two and our wonderful new car is white and shiny and has lots of interior space, as you can see, even if I do feel a little guilty about it. 

Max: There's even room for dismantled piano accordions in the back!

Next week I may be permitted to drive the new car when we take A Right Royal Street Party to try out for another major art exhibition. Hoping this one will be a better match to my painting style.  
More soon :)

'Clueless' commission collected!

From BBC Radio Leicester, Tony Wadsworth & Julie Mayer collect their commission, 'Clueless'

So here it is, the commission I've been working on for so long! Called 'Clueless' after their BBC Radio Leicester clue-based treasure hunt show which each Sunday takes listeners to various locations around Leicester and Leicestershire, the painting was commissioned by the programme's broadcaster / presenters, husband and wife team, Tony Wadsworth and Julie Mayer. 
Tony and Julie are pictured above with their commission at Leicester's West End Gallery, where they collected my painting this week.
Once framed, I'm told the work will be on public display at BBC Leicester following which it will be hung in pride of place at Tony and Julie's home.
A complete departure from my usual style, featuring as it does the better known sights of city and county, I think it fair to say the painting was a challenge! But with its bright primary colours and apparently mystical landscape I succeeded in making the artwork completely different from everything else I've ever created and that's been quite an achievement!

'Clueless' by Lizzy Hewitt, 2013, commissioned by Tony Wadsworth & Julie Mayer.

Spring has finally sprung

In Leicester's Clarendon Park, snow has disappeared and Spring has finally sprung. It's great to see some colour.