Take a sneak peek at our knight

A knight that will wow shoppers in Lincoln city centre is being brought to life.

Local artist Sian Bristow has been painting the Lincolnshire Co-op knight, one of 36 in the Lincoln Knights’ Trail, at home in Skellingthorpe.

It’s been standing guard in the family kitchen since January while final design meetings took place.

After her first nerve-wracking pencil mark last month, 21-year-old Sian has been steadily transforming the sculpture from blank slate into fully-fledged knight.

“When I’m really in the mood to do it my mum and dad both laugh at me, as I can be up until 5am,” Sian said.

“I’m really nervous about it being in the public eye. I’m really happy that Lincolnshire Co-op chose me and I want to do them proud.”

The Lincoln Knights’ Trail is a Wild in Art event brought to you by Lincoln BIG and will form a mass participation public art event in the city.

It commemorates the 800th anniversary of the Battle of Lincoln Fair and the sealing of the Charter of the Forest in 1217.

The knight was always going to feel like part of Sian’s family.

Her mother works at Lincolnshire Co-op’s Head Office in Lincoln, and her aunt and grandmother both spent time working at stores for the Society.

It was these family connections, and the brief for a bold and colourful knight, that inspired Sian to submit a design and apply to be the artist painting it.

“My family love it, my mum doesn’t want the knight to leave,” Sian said.

She has used a 2H pencil to transfer the design onto the knight - and tube after tube of acrylic paint.

And the deadline is looming - Sian must complete her work this month so the knight can be varnished and prepared for an unveiling to the media on March 27.

The knights will be displayed from Saturday, 20th May 2017 to Sunday, 3rd September 2017, followed by a reunion event in September 2017.

They will then be auctioned by JH Walter, on Saturday, 30 September 2017 at Lincoln Cathedral, to raise funds for The Nomad Trust LINK and its new accommodation and day centre project.

“I loved the barons, I have loved art all my life and to see Lincoln have such great art pieces on show was wonderful,” Sian added.

“It is great that the knights will be auctioned off for charity, and for such an amazing cause.”