Friday 23 May 2014 A stunning paper cut of the Tour de France Yorkshire route by artist Anita Bowerman (OG78) is being displayed at GSAL in the run up to Le Grand Départ. The intricate work took 200 hours to complete and shows the route that the cyclists will take on the first stage of the two-day event, setting out from Leeds and finishing with a sprint along The Stray in Harrogate. The turquoise paper cut, which will be mounted on yellow, measures 75 cm by 65 cm and has been cut out entirely by hand. It depicts scenes from the route, including Leeds Town Hall, Harewood House, Otley, Ilkley, Bolton Abbey, Newby Hall, Fountains Abbey, Ripon Cathedral, Buttertubs Pass and Hardraw Force. Anita spent two weeks travelling the route, interviewing people along the way, to research the area and the finished piece reflects both her attention to detail and her quirkiness. Look closely and you will see people walking their dogs in Harrogate, red kites flying over Harewood House, sheep grazing in the Dales, cyclists toiling up the steepest hills and, even, King Richard III at his childhood home, Middleham Castle. Landscape artist Anita, who runs Dove Tree Art Studio in Harrogate, turned her hand to creating paper cuts in the last couple of years. She said: “They are extremely labour-intensive because I don’t use computers at all. The only tools I use are my eyesight, a pencil, rubber, ruler and a very fine scalpel. “After just a couple of hours I need to take a break and rest my eyes, so there is no rushing this sort of work.” The vibrant paper cut of Le Tour route will be available to buy as a limited edition fine art print, with an actual size print selling for £175 and A3 prints at £95. As a special offer to GSAL, Anita is donating 20 per cent of the cost of any print purchased through the school to the bursary fund. Order forms are available at GSAL reception. Prints can also be purchased at Dove Tree Art Studio, Back Granville Road, Harrogate HG1 1AB. Visit Anita’s website to see more examples of her work. Alumni
