A MINI Montmartre will be created at the BIC with live drawing and painting amid 144 pieces of art by 50 artists.

The Bourne lounge will become like the well-known artists’ area of Paris with visitors able to chat to an artist working amid the Shards exhibition in the Bourne Lounge.

Bournemouth sculptor Linda Joyce and painter Rishi Ludgate took on the project after it was originally started by fellow artist Ruth Kelvin.

It then grew from an exhibition of seven artists to the numbers now involved by using Facebook and word of mouth.

“It’s been a phenomenal response using Facebook and the word just got around in the artists community,” said Linda.

“Not only is it an excellent art exhibition but you can also see art being created before your eyes.”

The artists involved range from Arts University students to an 80-year-old woman, with work on sale.

Linda added: “We have some artists who have not necessarily had the opportunity to get their work into a gallery before.

“But there are so many talented people that need to get their work exhibited.”

The pair are hoping Shards will become an annual exhibition and are looking to attract sponsorship after this year was funded through artists’ submissions and hanging fees.

The event includes a silent auction of two finished pieces and bidders can win a portrait by Rishi of a subject of their choice or a sculpture by Linda, who teaches the subject from her Pokesdown studio and shop. The money from the bids will go to the Bournemouth mayor’s charities.

There will also be poetry reading at the exhibition, running until September 2.

The artworks show influences ranging from realism through to expressionism, cubism and surrealism.

Rishi said the exhibitors were all excited ahead of the opening and they had to install extra exhibition panels to accommodate all the work.

She said: “I don’t think the original plan was to have it on this scale but it’s such a big exhibition space.

“We wanted to promote arts in the area of Dorset and Hampshire. So we decided to open it up to the whole area.

“We’ve never done anything this big before and we had to move swiftly.”

The pair put the exhibition together over the last three-and-a-half months.

“It’s great for these artists to get the exposure and it makes it interesting to meet people while they are working,” Rishi added.