The Swindogs that once surrounded Swindon have been adopted by new owners – but one fan came up with an inventive way to remember them.

Lora Ricketts was one of the thousands of people who completed the Big Dog Art Trail over the summer, though her journey around town differed from everyone else’s.

Each time she found a balloon dog sculpture, she sketched it in a handmade blue book that is now full of the likenesses of all the 30 6ft-tall artworks.

Every page has a colourful sketch, with some accompanied by further doodles of the intricate details and animals that appear on the sculptures.

She said: “It’s the first time I’ve ever followed an art trail and I thought it would be a really good project for me for sketching.

“It started off as something for my own enjoyment and has turned into something bigger than I ever expected.

“I tried to sketch as many as I could on location but we had quite a bit of rain and some were done from photos.

“I made the book myself and made it small because I knew it would be a big challenge to get it done in the time.

“I tried to catch as much detail as I could. The Swindogs were amazing with so much detail and it was quite a challenge.

“I tried to draw the dogs from different angles so they weren’t all the exact shape and size on the page.”

Swindon Advertiser: Lora Ricketts' sketch of the Patches Swindog with the real sculptureLora Ricketts' sketch of the Patches Swindog with the real sculpture (Image: Mad Mash Media)

Lora, who tried to draw many of the Swindogs on location, also got to speak to people who were doing the trail and has been overwhelmed by the response to her stunning art.

What began as an added incentive to seek out every sculpture became a social media sensation.

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She added: “When I started it was just a little art project for myself.

“I had a few people speak to me while I was sketching and I had some really nice comments whilst I was out on the trail.

“It sort of exploded and quite a few of the artists have commented and have said that they love the sketches of their dogs, which really means a lot to me. It wasn’t intended to be this grand.”

The Swindogs went up for auction at the STEAM Museum in Swindon, fetching an incredible £165,800 for Julia’s House children’s hospice.