Monday 16 June 2014 A stunning paper cut of the Tour de France Yorkshire route by Harrogate artist Anita Bowerman is being displayed at The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) in the run up to Le Grand Départ. Anita, who is an alumna of the school, spent 200 hours completing her intricate work, which 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 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 – there is no rushing this sort of work.” The vibrant paper cut of Le Tour route is available to buy as a limited edition fine art print, with prices starting at £95 for a 25cm x 35cm print. Anita is kindly donating 20 per cent of the cost of any print purchased through GSAL to the school’s bursary fund. Order forms are available at GSAL reception. General News
