Watch rhinos blossom in Exeter
Visitors to Exeter can watch artists creating life-size model rhinos this Easter.
Paignton Zoo’s Great Big Rhino Project is launching a public painting space in Harlequins Shopping Centre in the heart of Exeter, just round the corner from the Royal Albert Memorial Museum.
Following on from the successful Great Gorillas Project in 2013, The Great Big Rhino Project will put a free trail of painted life-size rhinos around the streets, parks and open spaces of Exeter and the English Riviera this summer.
The auction of the artworks in November will raise money for rhino conservation. The public art space in Exeter opens with botanical illustrator Kate Wilson and Blossom on behalf of Bernaville Nurseries.
Kate trained in Ipswich and at Dartington College of Arts and has a South West Society of Botanical Artists Diploma.
She said: "Blossom will be covered in plants that you might find growing in an English country garden in the spring and summer, or for sale at Bernaville Nurseries. They include wisteria, honeysuckle, rose, poppy, teasel, hollyhock, delphinium and sweet pea. I’m also hoping to include a couple of birds in there somewhere."
Usually, a botanical illustration is built up layer on layer with watercolours - a painstaking and time-consuming process which results in something very lifelike.
Kate said: “I don't usually need a ladder to work from! My approach for Blossom will be different, as I will paint the rhino in a base coat and then draw the plants and birds first in pen and then paint them with acrylics.
"I am hoping that the surface of this rhino will be smoother than that of the real thing!”
Kate is an award winning botanical illustrator based in Totnes and runs workshops as well as producing cards and year planners and exhibiting work.
After Kate and Blossom will come All Creatures Great And Small, by Laura Tutton, sponsored by Harlequins Shopping Centre.
Laura, from Bristol, was inspired by Paignton Zoo and wanted to capture the spirit of the Zoo on her rhino.
“There are 40 different animals featured in the design – can you find them all?”
Down The Road, by Peter Poole for Babbacombe Model Village, brings together a winning combination of artist and sponsor from the Great Gorillas and a design that will have people smiling – and standing on their heads… Last of all comes Stardust, by Maria and Patricia Shrigley, on behalf of The Breeze South Devon. Stardust will be painted with dazzling and hardwearing professional prop-maker’s glitter paint.
This design declares proudly that the rhino is a star in the animal firmament – and that we must keep that star burning bright. The Great Big Rhinos come alive on Saturday 30th July. Money raised will be channelled through Save the Rhino International.
Twitter @Greatbigrhinos, hashtag #greatbigrhinos
For information on Harlequins Shopping Centre and a map go to: www.harlequinsexeter.co.uk
