When we attended the Waddle-on-Sea art selection event, we were drawn to a fantastic design by Donna Newman. So we were delighted when we found out that we would be sponsoring her sculpture. We sat down to ask a few questions about her involvement in the trail and the creative process.
What is your creative process?
I have a degree in fine art, where I specialised in large scale painting, developing into my career as a mural artist. When I work on art trail commissions like these, my initial concept designs are created digitally, then hand painted onto the sculpture with a mixture of spray-paint, emulsions and acrylics.
What do you hope viewers take away from your work?
My designs are usually quite vibrant and fun, with a playful element, so I really hope they make people smile.
What was your inspiration for your sculpture design for this trail?
I like to create designs that have a local relevance, so naturally the coast was my main source of inspiration. I also love to create fun characters in my work and wanted to celebrate the amazing fishing abilities of penguins.
Was there any particular reason you were drawn to this project in particular?
I created 2 elephants for the ‘Herd in the City’ trail a few years ago, so naturally wanted to get involved again. It’s always so rewarding to work with charities like Havens Hospices, especially when you see how much money your artwork helps to raise at auction.
How do you feel about the penguin theme, are you a fan of them?
Who doesn’t love a penguin?! I’ve painted loads of different animal sculptures, but only one penguin so I’m excited to get my hands on two of these.
I see you have designed many sculptures before for the ‘Wild in Art’ trails supporting many charities. Has there been a particular favourite?
I’ve now painted over 100 sculptures, each one totally unique so it’s really hard to pick a favourite. If pushed to chose, I think I’d say that the Owl has been one of my favourite sculptures to paint and I’m particularly proud of my ‘Sheriff of Nottinghoot’ design.
How did you discover the ‘Wild in Art’ programme?
I first discovered Wild in Art when they delivered ‘The Big Hoot’ art trail in my home city of Birmingham, back in 2015. I really enjoyed taking my kids around the trail so jumped at the chance to get involved with their next Birmingham trail ‘The Big Sleuth’ a few years later.
It's always so rewarding to work with charities like Havens Hospices, especially when you see how much money your artwork helps to raise at auction.”
As an established artist for the trails, what would you say to any future artists contemplating a submission for a future trail?
Give it a go! It’s so much fun and quite addictive. There is a really great group of supportive and friendly artists working on the trails. It’s definitely a competitive process so I would advise creating high quality and unique designs which will grab peoples attention.
We love the fact the trails connect charities, artists, businesses and communities. What has been the biggest benefit to you as an artist taking part in these trails?
I’ve had the opportunity to work with so many amazing charities and businesses, which has really helped my profile and reputation within the creative arts. This has ultimately led to many more commissions and opportunities arising for me.
We’re proud to be sponsoring your design for the trail and supporting Havens Hospices, such a worthy charity within our community. Will you give us a teaser of what we can expect?
I can’t give too much away at this stage, but what I would say is that this is one of my favourite designs that I’ve created. He’s going to be super cute! It’s a really fun and playful design which features a penguin in a woolly hat! The rest I’ll have to leave up to your imagination for now.
We’ll be revealing more about Donna’s amazing sculpture as we get nearer to the trail. Keep an eye out for updates!
The Waddle-on-Sea trail takes place in Southend this summer and you can learn more about the event at waddleonsea.co.uk
This is all about raising funds to help Havens Hospices continue their vital work in the community. Learn more about them here
