Member Article

Cow artist over moon with hotel display

One of Britain’s most popular and trend setting artists visited the North East to see some of the latest additions to his ‘McCoo herd.’

Steven Brown, whose colourful abstract works – particularly those of Highland Cattle - have taken off world wide, was visiting the new Hotel 52 in Whitley Bay, where about 50 of his creations are on display.

The pieces – inspired by the distinctive faces of highland cattle – were first painted by the Ayrshire artist as a commissioned work but the style really took off when Steven donated a painting to raise funds at a charity event two years ago.

Now the McCoos - and other colourful creatures which have evolved in his unique style - are adorning walls and all kinds of soft furnishings and accessories from Pitlochry to Perth in Western Australia, as the popularity of the Steve’s work goes global.

It was Sonali Craddock, Marketing Director with the High Street Group - the company behind the Hotel 52 venture - who chose Steven’s art for the fit out of the refurbished operation. She has also installed it in the serviced apartments the company has in Harrogate, Richmond and Whitehaven.

She said: “I love Steven’s work. It’s so vibrant. You just have to smile when you see it so it’s perfect for places where people are visiting for holidays or short breaks. It gets them in the right mood to enjoy themselves as soon as they arrive.”

After touring Hotel 52, he said: “It’s always nice to see your work on display in a cool location and this is certainly a great venue. Art should be exposed to a wide audience, so what better place than a seaside hotel in a famous resort, currently undergoing a major revival.”

Steven’s art career didn’t start until later in life. Although he loved the subject at school, the economic needs of a fashion conscious teenager led to a career in retail. But, at the age of 38, after a second heart attack, he returned to painting as part of his recuperation.

And it was the creation of the McCoo characters that really captured the public’s imagination. Two years on and his work is in international demand.

Picture caption: Hotel 52 Manager, Kelly Knox (left), Steven and Trainee Manager Natalie Forrest show off some of the smaller McCoo prints on display in the bedrooms.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Dobbie .