Hand in Hand pub host charity dog walk & art show

Katie Bell’s bright and beautiful prints are adorning the walls of the Hand in Hand pub in Crooked Billet, Wimbledon Common until April 23.

The pub has been rated London’s best for dogs two years in a row by Dog Buddy, so Katie knew it was the perfect place for her expressive artwork.

Katie said: “The Hand in Hand pub was voted London’s friendliest dog pub so I got in touch with them and said would it be possible to put my work up?”

Katie Bell, artist, hard at work

Christine Blackman, assistant manager at the Hand in Hand, was delighted as she is running the London Marathon on April 22 in full dog costume this year for the Blue Cross, a charity dedicated to helping pets.

“And so we tied it all in”, said Katie.

“It helps raise awareness of the charity. They do this sponsored dog walk and they have a big barbecue and give away doggy bags.”

The Blue Cross sponsored dog walk on April 14 will help Christine raise money ahead of the marathon. She announced a special guest from Wimbledon Village Riding School too.

“Fantastic Mr Fudge the Shetland pony will be the official starter – kept well away from the dogs of course.”

The Fantastic Mr Fudge will be the official starter on April 14

Katie will be doing a ‘meet the artist’ at a stall in the pub on the day of the sponsored work where her work will be on sale.

She described the occasionally quick, more often painstaking process of pinpointing the character of an animal and translating it into art

“It doesn’t necessarily happen immediately.

“I work on two or three at once, I put it down for a few days and then come back and then I see different colours in the work, I might for instance see green in the eyes.

“It’s a process that that evolves a bit like writing a song, sometimes it happens quickly, other times not.”

Katie will soon be launching an online store at katiebell.co.uk