A BARNARD Castle artist is hoping his latest creation, a humorous painting featuring Dominic Cummings outside an opticians in town, will not only raise a smile, but also a few pounds for charity.
Leonardo Casey laboured for months completing Wish You Were Here, an acrylic painting showing the former Government advisor who landed in hot water after admitting visiting Barney last year during lockdown to “test his eyesight” .
Mr Casey, who lives on The Bank, said: “The community really came together during lockdown; everyone has been looking out for each other and I can still see that today.
“I wanted to put something out there to lighten the mood and he [Dominic Cummings] is the reason why the town is so busy now with tourists from all over the country.”
He said when he outlined his idea to create the postcards and prints to raise money for charity, other businesses in town offered to help out, providing services at cost.
“Tim Baitson, at the Curiosity Shop, has sorted out the photographing and printing of the postcards and prints and Nigel Allison, at First Impressions, has done a great job of framing the painting,” Mr Casey said.
Copies of the postcards and limited-edition prints are available to purchase from both the Handcrafter’s Hub and the Curiosity Shop, priced from £3 and all profits from the sale of both through the summer will go to Guide Dogs UK.
Mr Casey added: “I wanted to do this for charity and I thought it was fate when I spotted a story about Dave Thomas’ amazing work for Guide Dogs UK.
“As the whole episode with Dominic Cummings was about his eyesight, I thought it was just the right charity.
“As you’ll see in the painting the name of the opticians isn’t correct, inferring that someone’s eyesight is off.
“I really hope to do a travelling exhibition with the painting, perhaps getting it in other locations around the town through the summer.
