‘An expression of talent beyond the norm’ cries a delighted Bill
LEEK Town Crier Bill Lomas has paid tribute to a ‘stunning’ portrait created to celebrate his five years in the job.
For the past two months, a Leek-based artist has been preparing to exhibit his latest portrait commission of popular Leek Town Crier, Bill Lomas, at the Foxlowe Art Centre, Leek.
The large pencil and graphite drawing, ‘Bellman Bill’, was the creation of portrait artist Gavin Bowyer.
Gavin, who is well known in Leek, has also designed the logo and label for the town’s own brand of gin and is Leek Blues & Americana Festival Artist in Residence.
Gavin said: “Bill approached me via a video chat on Messenger and informed me I had been recommended by a number of his Facebook friends. He said he was looking for a local artist to commission a portrait of him and I agreed to meet and complete a photo shoot in his unmistakable livery.
“Afterwards, I knew it was going to be a difficult challenge to accurately draw Bill in his highly decorative uniform. I began drawing the portrait and spent more than 70 hours in the studio working on Bill’s image. I was so relieved when he saw pictures on Facebook and loved what I had completed.” A regular visitor to the Foxlowe Arts Centre, Bill has agreed to display Gavin’s portrait in the Foxlowe Drawing Room as part of the artist’s forthcoming café exhibition next month.
Bill said: “Stunning is not the word to use here, it’s much more than that.
“There are times in our life that shock us in a nice way and that is exactly what I feel about this amazing portrait. I don’t just see it but I feel it too.”
He paid tribute to the artist saying, “This is not just a portrait but a living expression of talent beyond the norm. This will be with me until I can no longer see. Words sometimes just don’t hit the mark. Now is a time like that. I thank Gavin Bowyer for creating the truth.”
Bill has now arranged for Gavin’s portrait to be on display for his fifth anniversary cry as Leek Town Crier in the Market Place at noon on October 17.
Gavin is now preparing Studio 6, at the Foxlowe Creative Hub, as part of this year’s Leek Virtual Open Studio exhibition on October 17 and 18.
Bill’s portrait will be exhibited at the Foxlowe Café on November 2.
For more information gavinbowyerportraitartist.com www.leekopenstudios.org, gavinbowyer45@gmail.com
07592 779968. or visit or email call