The newly completed “Lizzie” to has just gone on permanent public display in London in her new home at the glamorous and newly re- vamped One Aldwych Hotel. If you are in Covent Garden, pop in and see her. She has joined “Spencer”, one of my earlier Beano covered dog sculptures, first commissioned by the hotel when it opened its doors back in 1998. The hotel has an extensive collection of over 400 works of art so it was great to be asked to make another work for them as the hotel continues to evolve.
The “Lizzie” commission is one of an ongoing series of currency covered dog sculptures. This sculpture is relatively unusual as the banknotes covering the sculpture are not current issue, but withdrawn English One Pound notes. They were first issued in 1960, designed by Robert Austin, and surprisingly it was the first Bank of England note to feature a portrait of the Monarch. I love the colour of these ones and have previously used them in a number of my plant sculptures.