British Airways Commission Artwork by Jenny Leonard

As an artist you never really know when the next good thing is going to happen, but you plod on and keep trying and I’m an optimist and for a while now I’ve been feeling like my big break is coming. I saw an advert in the London Lite about a competition called ‘Great Britons’ aimed at young people by British Airways to fly them off to distant destinations for projects and endeavours their bank balance wouldn’t usually allow. I’ve always been a bit of a backpacker at heart so I created a profile and (like most art competitions) forgot all about it and left it to sizzle or plunder in the deep dark depths of cyber space. A couple of months later I got a phone call out of the blue from IMG Media who ran the campaign for the competition and asked if I would be interested in doing a mural with British Airways. I tried not to squeeeeak too much in my excited reply and remain professional.

They saw my portfolio mural pictures I had uploaded and suitably friendly ‘about me’ blurb and decided perhaps I wouldn’t win the competition but I certainly could be involved...

The project was for a huge mural on canvas to then be flown to Vancouver to District 319 for an event with BA and the Winter Olympics. All this of course sounded so brilliant I hardly took any notice when she told me the deadline was in 12 days to create a 7metre by 2metre mural painting of the iconic London Cityscape. It was all down to me for the design, layout and what it would include. After several long days in the studio painting for 10 hours a day and continuous nightmares about the order of buildings in London, it was ready, the courier picked it up and I waved goodbye.

I had great feedback from the team at IMG media and British Airways. So much so that the BA team decided to offer me a couple more flights if I would design another corporate style mural for their head office in Waterside. The final piece was painted and installed at the reception desk, reflects BA’s branding and again shows a London city landscape to celebrate the 2012 Olympics. BA even kindly dedicated a little acrylic plaque onsite about me which I felt very happy about. I’m hoping I’ll be enough of a successful artist that one day someone somewhere will think to dedicate a park bench to me when I’m gone, I’ve always loved sitting after all.

After this commission I was left feeling like I could have a real shot at this art malarkee, so here I am, brush at the ready awaiting the next big wall.

WORDS & PICTURES BY ARTIST JENNY LEONARD
http://www.debutcontemporary.com/jenny-leonard-the-work/
http://twitter.com/#!/ArtbyJenLeonard