Left: John Dyer's painting of the crop rice, and the people who signed up to the 'beat poverty' campaign on the 7th October 2003.

Save the Children asked John Dyer to help them to launch the 'Beat Poverty' campaign at the Eden Project on 7 October 2003. Visitors to the project on the day saw John at work in the Humid Tropics Biome working on a new Eden painting highlighting the importance of rice.

Left:
John Dyer at work on 'Rice and Hope'. 

Each person that signed up to the campaign on the day at Eden was included in the painting. 

The painting, 'Rice and Hope', measures 33 x 40 inches, acrylic on board, and is framed. It is full of life and colour.

Launching the International Year of Rice 2004, the Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Dr Jacques Diouf, said that "rice is the staple food for over half of the world's population" but warned that "its production is facing serious constraints."

The painting will be gifted to Save the Children and limited edition prints will be made to raise funds for the project.

UPDATE: The limited prints have now raised over £6000.

John Dyer is well known for his exuberant and brightly coloured paintings and is now one of Cornwall's best known artists. He has kindly offered this painting to be sold to raise funds for Save the Children. You can find out more about his work at www.johndyer.info

UPDATE September 2009
The original painting has now been acquired by Save The Children UK and is on permanent display in London.