A LIVE painting session is taking place in Cirencester for everyone to watch this April.

Artist Katherine Dove said she was delighted at the chance to get stuck into the Cirencester March Hare Festival and will be decorating a five foot hare model at her pop-up exhibition, titled Cotswold Uncut, at New Brewery Arts from now until April 26.

The exhibition is open to the public every day so people can watch Mrs Dove marble the hair and then paint it to create a woolly effect as the model will be moving into the Woolmarket when it is finished.

“I wish I had time to practice before hand but it is going fantastically well,” said the Cheltenham-based artist. “There may even be chance for people to help me with the model.”

The model hare is one of more than 40 which form part of a sculpture trail throughout Cirencester and neighbouring areas.

Businesses and organisations from across the region have put their names behind the project by sponsoring one of the hares. Funds raised through sponsorship and the sale of these hares at auction in October 2014 will help raise the target of £50,000. This enables the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust to set up the Green Hare Churn Walkway around the River Churn in Cirencester.

Andy Lichnowski of the Cirencester Community Development Trust Ltd, which is behind the scheme, added: “It is great to have a renowned artists like Katherine Dove involved.

“What she is doing just adds to what has already been a fabulous festival.”