TrustedHousesitters sponsors Shaun by the Sea!

Ewe-rika! It’s a shear delight to announce that TrustedHousesitters will be sponsoring this year’s installment of the Brighton Art Trail. Having previously featured snails and Snowdogs, the latest exhibition will be a collection of 40 painted sculptures of Shaun the Sheep! That’s right, sculptures of the beloved children’s character will be dotted throughout Brighton & Hove from September through to November, and it’s all in aid of Martlets, a local charity that helps those affected by terminal illnesses. 

We’ve been matched with local artist J David Bennett, who, like us, has ties to the wonderful city of Brighton. He tells us a little bit about himself and how he brings his work to life. 

“I was brought up near Brighton,” David says, “before going off to London for a degree in Graphic Design, followed by a Masters in Animation. After a career making kid’s TV animation, I came back to Brighton for a quieter life as an Illustrator. All those years in kid's TV inspired my fun and colourful artwork style”.

Sounds like David’s the perfect candidate for the Shaun by the Sea Art Trail! But painting sheep isn’t the only thing he does…

“I’m an Illustrator & Printmaker, making bold, graphic, mostly humorous art for greeting cards and your walls. I make screen prints, linocuts and collages, but nowadays I’m mostly in the digital realm. My iPad has taken over from my sketch pad!”

Like us, it’s David’s first time getting involved in a trail of this kind. He’s feeling far from sheepish about it, saying, “It’s been exciting to work in a totally different way, painting on a big 3D sculpture has been very challenging, (I’ve never painted laying on my back before!) but very rewarding”.

We hate to think how that would turn out for us! Luckily, Shaun the Sheep’s in good hands, but where did David get his ewe-nique idea from? 

“My style is generally very bold, so I wanted a design that would catch your eye from a distance. And of course, I love a play on words”.

Join the herd! Speaking of, what about pets? While David doesn’t currently own any, he tells us, “I would love a cheeky terrier again in the future!”. Who wooldn’t?! 

While we wait for the big reveal of the #BrightonFlock, David points us toward his Instagram page and website, where you can catch a glimpse of his fun and colourful style!