I was contacted by Helen Suckling of Harrogate Tourist Information Centre to see if I would be interested in creating a front cover of Harrogate's newest local magazine, The Harrogate Review.
Helen had been approached by Editor Haigh Simpson to see if she knew an artist who could create a special front cover especially for the Tour de Yorkshire 2017. I was happy to get involved and lots of drawing, measuring and paper cutting ensued.
The end result was a miniature paper cut map depicting the route of Stage 2 of Tour de Yorkshire 2017. It starts in Tadcaster, famous for its bridge and brewery, then on to Knaresborough with its iconic bridge, Ripon with its cathedral, past Fountains Abbey and finishing in Harrogate on the Stray. It is similar in style to the Grand Départ 2014 map and features the famous cherry trees with hundreds of paper cut pink dots stuck on, the cyclists, people, dogs, together with iconic buildings on or adjacent to Parliament Street such as Bettys and the Royal Hall.
Spring presents the most amazing spectacle and in a short window early May, the Cherry Blossoms burst forth followed by the Bluebells and sometimes at the same time. I love being outside in the elements capturing these sights.
My background to painting outside stems from early childhood. No matter what the weather - I'll always try and paint outside of my studio to capture the subject matter be it animals, landscapes or as is often the case - a combination!
Beautiful autumn colouring this year inspired me to capture the cherry trees on the stray in Harrogate - slightly windy conditions made the outdoors challenging but well worth the effort - !
Anita Bowerman
Author