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Family create Paddington Bear beach art for Queen

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The artwork was created using pebbles and shells

A family has created a pebbles and shells mosaic of Paddington Bear to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II.

Ieva Slare and husband Dzindars Slars made the artwork with their two children on Sandymere beach at Westward Ho! in Devon on Sunday.

Mrs Slare said: "We felt it was our duty to make a tribute to Her Majesty, a special and inspirational lady."

In June, a sketch to mark the Platinum Jubilee showed the Queen having tea with Paddington.

The mosaic took six hours of planning, and about four hours on the beach.

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Dzindars Slars placed the final pebbles in Paddington's eyes before the tide washed it away

"While we were making it the sea was coming in very quickly, and my husband just put the last pebbles in Paddington's eyes before the first waves came in and washed it away," Mrs Slare said.

"We do not worry that it didn't last, it is part of the process, a part of life and nothing is eternal."

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Paddington was modelled with a tear rolling from his eye

The family, who live in Bideford, first started doing beach art during the first coronavirus lockdown and now do it once or twice a week.

They are from Latvia and moved to Bideford 10 years ago.

"It is all about the need to express ourselves and give something to our community. We feel at home when we do it - we get a lot of feedback and talk to people.

"It is about lifting people's spirits and giving positive vibes to everybody."

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