The brief

Over 50 artists were commissioned to paint life-sized bears as part of the Leeds Bear Hunt. The event placed the bears across the city of Leeds and later auctioned off the artworks, donating the proceeds to the Leeds Children’s Hospital.

My approach involved mindful painting, beginning with drawing from life in the Leeds Alhambra garden before creating a design. To minimize environmental impact, I used paint sourced from Seagulls in Leeds, where paint is saved for re-use. I then live-painted the bear in the Merrion Centre, a large shopping center in the heart of Leeds, with hundreds of passers-by watching the process and offering encouragement over the 5 days she was there.