Harrogate artist's amazing 'wheel of the north'

It's not quite as big as the Angel of the North but a Harrogate artist's large-ish '˜wheel of steel' is having a big impact in one of Yorkshire's leading cities.
Harrogate artist Anita Bowerman with her wheel of steel artwork.Harrogate artist Anita Bowerman with her wheel of steel artwork.
Harrogate artist Anita Bowerman with her wheel of steel artwork.

Best known for her delicate paper cuts and landscape paintings. artist Anita Bowerman’s impressive wheel sculpture has been given pride of place in a Virgin bank in Sheffield.Harrogate-based Anita, who attracted national attention as the official Tour de Yorkshire artist, was specially commissioned by Virgin Money to design the huge wheel sculpture for its Sheffield Lounge. The 1.5-metre stainless steel wheel now hangs on the wall of the lounge’s first-floor library in the city centre.Anita said she was honoured to have been chosen to produce the artwork, following a chance meeting with one of the Virgin Money bosses who popped in to her gallery in Harrogate, The Dove Tree Art Studio at Back Granville Road, to buy some of her other work. She said: “I am immensely proud to have my artwork take pride of place in the only Virgin Money Lounge in Yorkshire. Virgin is such a famous brand.”Nigel Rees, Virgin Money’s National properties and facilities manager, said: “We are so pleased with this high-quality steel sculpture. We include it on our guided tour and people stop to have their photographs taken next to it.”“Anita is a multi-talented, artist whose attention to detail and unique designs speak for themselves.”The run-up to Christmas is proving to be a busy one for Anita who opened her Harrogate studio five years ago. She has also produced four Christmas card designs for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity.And Anita is holding weekly ‘Christmas with a Conscience’ Saturdays with free drinks and nibbles 11am-4pm until Saturday, December 17 when 10 per cent of all sales at her studio will go to YAA.