One of Yorkshire’s rising stars of the art world has been unveiled as the official artist for the Tour de Yorkshire.
Richmond-based pastel artist Lucy Pittaway has been chosen as the official artist for this year’s race, which returns to the county from 29 April to 1st May.
Her colourful picture, entitled Hills, Dales and Woolly Tails, depicts the excitement, endurance and tenacity of the race, set against the unique Yorkshire backdrop with an eager crowd of fluffy spectators.
Available in a limited run of 595 prints, the piece will be launched at the Lucy Pittaway Art Gallery in Brompton-on-Swale, North Yorkshire, on Saturday, April 16th and will be available to view at a number of venues across the region, including Harrogate Flower Show and the Great Yorkshire Show.
In addition to the official Tour picture, Lucy has extended her existing cycling range to include iconic visions of the local area and capture the spirit of the race within seven additional pictures that complement the official image.
She uses pastels to bring to life the bright, vibrant imagery of her daily life in the hills of the Yorkshire Dales and favours her fingers, knuckles and palms of her hand to blend with over traditional tools and materials.
Lucy, who has been nominated for a Fine Art Trade Guild’s Up and Coming British Artist 2016 award, said:
As a local Yorkshire resident, I am so proud to have been named this year’s Tour de Yorkshire artist and to be associated with such a fabulous event for our region.
Both my husband and son are mad keen cyclists, with the sport incredibly important in my household it was even more special to receive the opportunity to produce the official image of this year’s Tour.
The official picture is my tribute to the hard work and dedication of the athletes, as well as the importance that the race plays to the region in capturing the imaginations of so many people.
Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said:
We are thrilled to have Lucy on board as the official artist of the Tour de Yorkshire 2016. Her work is vibrant, colourful and full of life and depicts the spectacular Yorkshire scenery in a unique and humorous way.
There is something for everyone in Lucy’s piece, from fluffy sheep and yellow bikes, to rolling hills and Yorkshire landmarks.
For more information on the piece and Lucy’s full cycling collection, visit www.lucypittaway.co.uk
