Luton elephant statue tours to showcase best of town

Sunrise features Luton landmarks on both its sides, like Luton Hoo, the university, the airport and the Hat Factory area

An elephant statue that was auctioned to raise funds for a hospice has gone on tour to showcase the best of a town.

Sunrise was purchased by Love Luton to celebrate "everything amazing" about the town, its chairman Linsey Sweet said.

It was bought as a blank canvas and has been decorated by Bedford-based artist Sarah Harrison to act as a lasting legacy.

Ms Sweet said it would constantly be on tour so it could be "shown off".

The former country house, Luton Hoo, has been painted on the side of Sunrise

In November Keech Hospice Care sold 38 elephant artworks, that made up the Big Trunk Trail that took place across Luton from July to October.

The sale raised £231,500.

Miss Harrison was asked to paint Sunrise, after she had created another elephant called Acorn for that trail.

Sunrise started out as a blank canvas for artist Sarah Harrison...

...and ended up like this with its colourful feet to represent the people of Luton

The sculpture had to be painted in her parents' home, as it could not fit through her doors and became "the elephant in the room" she said.

It was a joy to work on, she added, and it features a collage of local landmarks, as well as colourful feet to "represent the people of Luton".

Ms Sweet, from Love Luton, said the brief for Sunrise was to "create a legacy piece of art that celebrates everything amazing about Luton".

The main stipulation was it had to be "colourful and wonderful".

Its paintwork features local landmarks like The Mall, the Town Hall, hat factories and Luton Town Football club.

Sunrise was painted by Sarah Harrison in her parents' house as that was the only way to get it indoors

At the start of February Sunrise began her tour and spent several weeks with Active Luton.

In March she will have a stay at Luton Sixth Form College.

Throughout February Sunrise stayed with Active Luton which runs leisure centres across the town

"If you want to host Sunrise and have it as a piece of art we would be delighted to keep the legacy of the trail going", Ms Sweet added.

"We want it constantly shown off and not stuck in a cupboard, so it will always be on tour."

"It brings people joy, it just shows everything that is great about Luton.

"We want it to promote pride, inspiration to draw and also for people to find the buildings that are painted on it," she added.

The Luton Bee appears on Sunrise which is on the Luton crest to show the town's historic hive of industry, Sarah Harrison said