Leeds Bear Hunt

Way back in 2022, Wild In Art announced that they would be running one of their brilliant artist sculpture trails in Leeds, to raise money for The Leeds Hospitals Charity. I had seen these art trails across the country for years, but had never been in the position to enter, but when I saw there was one one my doorstep I couldn't resist! The Wild In Art trails place around 30-50 sculptures on the streets for the public to enjoy for several weeks, which are then auctioned off at the end to raise money for charity. Each sculpture is designed and painted by an artist.

My design, Balance Bear, which you can see pictured, was accepted and sponsored by Leeds City Council themselves! My design reflected on the balance between the energy and culture of the city, and the peace and beauty of the countryside, and how good balance helps our mental health. Once my design had been accepted, I had to work out how to fit painting this beautiful bear sculpture into my time, working around my job at the time and childcare. I spent lots of late evenings and weekends at the Bear Cave, the painting studio set up in Leeds city centre, squeezing in as much painting as I could. It was exhausting but amazing!

I had never done a project like this before, nothing so big for such a large audience. I was full for excitement and enthusiasm, until I got in front of the bear sculpture, then I froze! It was big, and suddenly the need to translate a 2D design on a 3D canvas was very overwhelming. Thankfully, I met some wonderful artists from Leeds and the surrounding area who really encouraged me and pushed me to "just start!" A huge thank you to those who made the experience less terrifying and much more enjoyable - Albert & Rachel, Christine, Cathy, Kat, Jina, and Hew, to name a few. 

I just went for it, following their advice, and once there were a few marks on the sculpture, the fear started to go away and I could see that it was possible. The rest of the painting experience was amazing, and my confidence has grown a lot, as has my ambition to do bigger and more exciting things!

Take a look at these pictures of my Bear Hunt journey, and keep scrolling to find out what happened after the trail.

The Leeds Bear Hunt trail ran over the summer of 2023, with bears placed all around Leeds city centre, from the University down to the Royal Armouries. There were also dozens of bears that had been painted by local school groups, which were also placed around in more secure locations. The public were encouraged to hunt for the bears, getting a virtual badge each time they found one. 

At the end of the trail, all of the bear sculptures were paraded through town to the Leeds City Museum, where they were auctioned off to raise money for Leeds Hospitals Charity. My beautiful Balance Bear raised £2500 for the charity, and went off to live in someone's garden!

Taking part in the Leeds Bear Hunt had been one of the highlights of my creative career so far; increasing my confidence, bringing me a lot of joy, and helping me to dream big for the future of my art!