Kids create image of reggae legend Bob Marley from records and CDs

Artist Dean Williams with Daniel Piper, 6, Kyle Watkins, 9, and Kitty Butcher, 7, with the portrait of Bob Marley made from vinyl seven inch singles, 12 inch vinyl LPs, CDs and video cassette cases.

YOUNGSTERS in Sleaford have helped to create a large scale image of music legend Bob Marley using more than 1,500 records and CDs.

The masterpiece took community artist Dean The Wizard and 30 helpers three hours to put together at the town's Hub.

This creation formed part of a workshop that links in with the Hub's summer exhibition Let's Play Records which looks at vinyl album art over the years. This exhibition is on until September 5.

Dean, who organised the session to promote the use of recyclable materials, said: "On this occasion I used vinyls and CDs.

"I just like to show participants that you can re-use any bits that are laying around the house for other things, such as creating art. I chose Bob Marley as he is a well-known artist in the music world and he has a distinctive face that children can get really creative with when developing the large-scale piece of art."

One participant, Kitty Butcher, 7, said: "I'm really enjoying myself, this is great fun. I love to do anything arty."

The Hub hosts a number of activities and exhibitions throughout the year. Another exhibition running alongside Let's Play Vinyl is Printshop by artist Belle Benfield.

A Hub spokesman said: "Against a striking backdrop of murals showing industrial wheat processing, Benfield's exhibition includes more than 200 handmade printing stamps that reveal the steps in the process of growing, harvesting, milling, baking and grinding wheat into breadcrumbs.

"This shows a great way to use up old bread has been transformed into a complicated process that we seldom think about as we walk the supermarket aisles."

The exhibition runs until October 3. The Hub is open daily from 10am to 5pm, with free entry.