ONE of Yorkshire’s rising stars of the art world has been unveiled as the official artist for the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire.

Richmond-based pastel artist Lucy Pittaway is the UK Fine Art Trade Guild’s current “Up and Coming Artist of the Year.”

And for the second consecutive year she has been chosen by Welcome to Yorkshire to create a piece of art designed to capture the imagination of the people of Yorkshire, and the spirit of the race.

Last year she used soft pastels, blended onto board by hand, to create a vibrant picture entitled “Hills, Dales and Woolly Tails” which depicted the race with an eager crowd of sheep spectators.

The official picture for 2017 - currently a work in progress - will be a significant departure from that but will still pay tribute to the Yorkshire countryside and industrial townscapes.

The picture will be unveiled at Welcome to Yorkshire’s Y17 tourism conference at York Theatre Royal on March 21.

Between now and then a series of teasers will be released on the Tour de Yorkshire’s social media channels which will include images and videos of Ms Pittaway creating the artwork. A competition will also be launched giving people the chance to win a copy of the official picture.

Ms Pittaway said: “Living and working in Yorkshire, I was so proud to be part of last year’s Tour de Yorkshire, and delighted to create a piece of art that so many people have used to remember such a fun and vibrant three days in our region.

“To be able to work with Welcome to Yorkshire again and create another piece that connects art lovers with the 2017 race is incredibly exciting. The pressure is on once again on to create an image that does our stunning county justice.”