Hope Church celebrated the Jubilee Bank Holiday on Monday 4 June by creating The Big Picture. This is a 2.1 metre square painting of Gravesend clock tower and painting it was a means to raise money for the EllenorLions Hospice. The church, based in Peacock Street, hosted the art project where 45 people from the local community came together for the day and painted individual canvas panels that were joined together to create The Big Picture.

“We wanted to bring the local community together to paint something that celebrated the diversity of Gravesend and the Jubilee”, explained Mike Fryer, an artist and member of the church, who coordinated the project. “The clock tower is a well known symbol of the town, close to the chapel and it was originally built for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. Throughout the day there was a great sense of excitement and creativity as everyone painted, from age 6 to 86 and from professional to those who had hardly painted before!”

Stephen Lloyd, the pastor of Hope Church doesn’t see himself as artistic, but painted one of the squares. “It was exciting to see the painting gradually being assembled throughout the day”, he said. “The finished work is a picture of the community. Each square reflects the diversity of those taking part, yet joined together to create a single image of Gravesend.”

Everyone who took part paid a small entry fee to be donated to the EllenorLions Hospice, with over £200 raised so far with more money to come.

The picture is currently being displayed in St George's Shopping Centre, Gravesend (opposite WH Smith).

For further information (and if you would like to display the painting) contact Mike Fryer,
Tel: 01474 704961 Email: info@mikefryer.co.uk