An Exclusive Experience in London’s Most Exciting Art Trail!
Renowned contemporary artist Louise Dear shares her excitement about participating in The Big Egg Hunt 2025, a vibrant city-wide exhibition supporting Elephant Family.
A Personal Note from Louise Dear
I'm absolutely thrilled to have been invited to take part in The Big Egg Hunt 2025 with Elephant Family, a charity that has been close to my heart for many years. My journey with this incredible organization began in 2010 when I painted my first elephant, Tinkle, for the Elephant Parade. Seeing it raise significant funds at auction was such a joy, and it marked the start of my continued collaboration with this cause.
In 2012, I was honored to create an egg for the first-ever Big Egg Hunt, where my Love Egg was displayed across London before being auctioned alongside works by legendary artists like Sir Peter Blake. That piece found its forever home with Prue Freeman and Tom Onions, the owners of Daisy Green Collection, and it became the start of a wonderful relationship between my art and their beautiful restaurant spaces.
So when I was asked to create another egg for this year’s hunt, I was delighted! Even more exciting is that my egg will be displayed in Marble Arch, at the iconic Cumberland Hotel, a location filled with artistic and historical significance. It’s truly an honor to once again contribute to this colourful, inspiring, and meaningful event.
The Egg: My Inspiration
‘There Are No Rules’,this phrase, taken from a fabulous Shirley Bassey song, has become something of a personal mantra for me, both in life and in art. With this mindset, I approached the creation of my 2025 Big Egg Hunt piece.
I started by priming the egg and building up layers of rich yellows and soft pinks, evoking the radiant hues of sunrise. Living in the south of France, I wake before dawn to watch the sunrise over the Mediterranean, a moment that never fails to inspire me. As the morning glow turns the ponds pink and gold, I feel completely lifted, and I wanted to capture that warmth, energy, and emotion in this piece.
At the heart of the design is one of my favourite muses, a woman whose head is thrown back, lips parted, fully embracing the joy of being. Her expression and posture reflect pure pleasure, self-assurance, and seduction, themes I often explore in my work.
The blossoming pink blooms signify spring's arrival, while the Michaelmas daisies—a recurring motif in my paintings—represent autumn’s fleeting beauty. These flowers, stretching their petals towards the sky as the seasons change, seem to whisper: “More sunshine, please don't leave.”
I also love playing with black and white contrasts, representing the balance of opposing forces, yin and yang. It creates boldness and strength, grounding the composition. While the original painting that inspired this piece had a dark, moody background, I wanted to lift this egg into the light, using two-tone blues that reflect the ever-changing waters that surround my Mediterranean home.
Supporting Elephant Family
Beyond its artistic significance, The Big Egg Hunt 2025 is part of a much bigger mission, to raise awareness and vital funds for Elephant Family. This charity does incredible work, protecting endangered Asian elephants and their habitats, while also working towards solutions that help humans and wildlife coexist harmoniously.
I was lucky enough to meet Mark Shand, the inspiring conservationist and founder of Elephant Family, and his passion for this cause was truly contagious. His dedication to wildlife and conservation left a lasting impression on me, and I feel incredibly privileged to contribute to his vision in my own way.
I hope my egg brings as much joy and inspiration to those who see it as I felt creating it. If you’d like to stay updated on The Big Egg Hunt 2025, my artwork, and exclusive Wyecliffe Galleries events, sign up below!
Louise Dear's is one of adventure, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of beauty - a narrative as vibrant and captivating as her paintings themselves.
