Bookmark this page and visit for regular updates on
the progress of the sculpture, and for news of events etc. associated
with the project.
The Lion arrives at Pollyanna's Studio.
Pollyanna's original rough design
Update 27th July 2010
Lions Now on the streets!
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the City of Northampton
and follow the trail around the city to see the Pride of Forty
lions which have taken to the city streets! Pollyanna’s
lion ‘Good Morning Africa’ can be found in All Saints
Plaza. Trail maps can be downloaded free of charge at www.prideofnorthampton.com
or picked up at a wide variety of locations throughout the city.
Souvenir brochures are also on sale. Grab your camera and head
over to the city to see how many lions you can spot!!
The Lion in Progress ........
Pollyanna sprays her chosen 'basecoat' colour on to the white
lion sculpture.
Beginning to outline the design
Adding some details...
..... and the design begins to take shape
Previous updates :
Update 25.05.10 :
Guests at the 'Pride in the Park' ball on the 12th June will
be the first to see Pollyanna's completed lion which will be
displayed at the event before going on to the streets of Northampton.
Pollyanna will be attending the event, as will Born Free founder
Virginia McKenna.
Click here for ticket details
Update 07.06.10 :
The lions will start appearing on the streets of Northampton
from the 26th June - free trail maps will be available to help
you locate all the lions!
Update 09.06.10
The first posters announcing a special event beginning on the
26th June appear on the streets of Northampton....
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Pride of Northampton
Pollyanna was joined by Virginia McKenna (above right) to officially
unveil one of the most unusual pieces of artwork she has ever
completed! ‘Good Morning Africa’ is a life size
lion sculpture, designed and painted by Pollyanna as part of
the Pride of Northampton event.
For a 10 week period in Summer 2010, Northampton’s streets,
parks, open spaces and shopping centres will be joined by a
pride of 5ft lions in the town’s most high profile event,
engaging artists, community groups and schools and attracting
regional and national visitors to the town centre. Pollyanna
is delighted that she was selected as one of the artists to
paint one of these magnificent sculptures, which will bring
an explosion of colour and excitement to Northampton's streets
and open spaces. A significant amount of money raised through
the auction of the lions in September will be donated to The
Born Free Foundation and to a local Northampton charity, the
Cynthia Spencer Hospice.
The statue was unveiled by Pollyanna and Virginia at Born Free’s
Pride in the Park Ball in Derby, where he stood beside the red
carpet to greet visitors as they entered! He has now joined
the rest of the forty strong Pride on display in the city streets
of Northampton. Already proving to be one of the most popular
lions on display, he has been selected as one of twelve to be
featured in a pack of commemorative postcards.
Pollyanna is shown below working on her lion watched by visitors
to her gallery during the Derbyshire Open Arts weekend.
Pollyanna commented "The deep terracottas and warm golds
and reds used in the design were inspired by my painting safaris
throughout Africa, from the mountains of Ethiopia to the deserts
of Namibia. The outline map of Africa and glowing sunset embody
the wonder of the Continent on which the lion roams, while the
main bold symbols of rock art were inspired by my visits to
sites of ancient civilisations close to Born Free’s Shamwari
reserve in South Africa. I am fascinated by the idea of combining
my own 21st century work with the work of artists from thousands
of years ago. Wildlife Art is the oldest art form - the earliest
cave paintings ever discovered depict animals. As the project
will benefit Born Free, I have included an extract of the evocative
lyric of the Oscar winning song – while the compass on
the back of the lion points the way to their inspirational conservation
work around the globe."
A significant amount of money raised through the auction of
the lions in September 2010 will be donated to the Born Free
Foundation and to a local Northampton charity, the Cynthia Spencer
Hospice.
In 2008, the streets of Norwich were brought alive with over
50 fibreglass elephants, painted and decorated by local artists,
schools and businesses. The successful event was initiated by
Wild in Art, who united the local community with an eye catching
display of urban art, and highlighted the plight of elephants
in the wild. A staggering sum of almost £68,000 was raised
through the auction of these magnificent elephants, which helped
Born Free contribute towards wild elephant conservation. Wild
in Art have successfully staged similar events in the UK, Europe
and Africa, and have now teamed up with Northampton borough
council to launch Pride of Northampton. This time it will not
be the mighty elephant that takes to the streets, but the King
of the jungle himself, the lion.
Click
here to find out more about the project
Pollyanna at work on the lion
Above - one of Pollyanna's paintings of a lion inspired by
the ancient Rock Paintings in Namibia.
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