An artist who swapped haulage for painting has created a special portrait of a longstanding town business.<\/p>\n
Danny Robinson, the creative behind Ebel Abstract Art, spent three weeks painting Andy Hind of Sibleys Family Butchers, with his premises on Kirkgate, as a way of promoting the Newark business.<\/p>\n
Danny, of Newark, officially handed over the painting to Andy on Thursday (May 7), who said he was \u201cover the moon\u201d with the finished product.<\/p>\n
Artist Danny Robinson presenting his painting to Andy Hind of Sibleys Butchers. Photo: Supplied<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always liked the shopfront, it\u2019s one of the most traditional in Newark and has been there for decades,\u201d the artist said, explaining his choice of subject.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know Andy a little bit through football, as my wife chairs Newark Town FC and he has offered some sponsorship.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just kept looking at it as it\u2019s such a nice shopfront, so I asked Andy if I could paint it. He came outside and put his tie on \u2014 he wouldn\u2019t have it without a tie \u2014 and we took the photo, and then I painted it over the next few weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Artist Danny Robinson, of Ebel Abstract Art, with his painting of Sibleys Butchers. Photo: Supplied<\/p>\n
Danny created the painting for free, describing it as a favour which goes both ways, promoting both Sibleys and Ebel Abstract Art, a venture he set up after Covid-19 affected operations of his family haulage business<\/a> Dexhaul Ltd.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cYou know how bad the high street is, so I wanted to take any opportunity to help promote it.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope to do a couple more paintings like this in the coming weeks. I enjoy doing it.<\/p>\n \u201cThe painting got an amazing response on social media, one of the best of anything I\u2019ve posted \u2014 because people know Andy as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Danny, who graduated from Lincoln Art College in the early nineties and then went into work in the family business, first decided to invest in his creative side and start selling his paintings during the pandemic.<\/p>\nDanny’s reference photo of Andy Hind of Sibleys Butchers. Photo: Supplied<\/p>\n