ACTORS, artists, authors and a former England cricketer have been getting creative to help support two charities.

They have contributed to more than 200 artworks going on sale at the Big Heart Auction in aid of the Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice and Brighton Dome.

Young patients being cared for by the hospice, based near Arundel, have also added 15 pictures to the online sale.

Raymond Briggs, illustrator of the much-loved The Snowman and a patron of the hospice, sent in a piece called Snowman with a BIG heart.

Artist and children’s book illustrator Laura Wall sent in an original charcoal concept drawing from her board book Goodnight, Goose.

She said: “Although it is a very simple piece, I feel this little sketch is quite endearing and sums up how I see Goose and Sophie’s relationship. It is one of my personal favourites.”

The auction includes a wide range of styles to appeal to all tastes and budgets, including photography, textiles, mixed media, fine and contemporary art.

Other artists to have donated works include Francesca McLeod, a Brighton-based artist who often has exhibits her powerful and emotional portraits in London, Dan Baldwin, whose work is collected and exhibited nationally and internationally, and Maria Rivans, a British contemporary artist who creates collages utilising an array of printed materials from 20th and 21st century pop culture.

Cricketer-turned-commentator Phil Tufnell and actresses Julie Graham and Tamzin Outhwaite have also made contributions, and organisers are hoping to raise thousands of pounds from the event.

One 15-year-old hospice user suffers from cerebral palsy, autism and epilepsy and has been cared for by the team for the past two years.

Born prematurely, she was delayed in her development but was making good progress until the age of five when she was ventilated following a seizure. Now she needs similar care to that of a newborn. Her mother said: “Despite her limitations, she is a lively character. She loves to be outside and on the move, although she has no sense of danger. She absolutely adores it at the hospice.

“She loves the staff and all of the attention.

“And she loves the space, the freedom it gives her.

“She feels totally at home there and I enjoy a completely guilt-free break knowing that she is having the time of her life.”

The teenager has created a piece for the Big Heart Auction called I Just Love Pink, featuring pink hearts, stars and glitter.

Her mother added: “She is quite a girly-girl, loving to have her nails painted.”

Hospice head of fundraising, Liz Ganney, said: “We have been delighted with the response from the artist community – what a very generous bunch – and are really proud of our collection. We have a fantastic range of works available to bid on.”

Brighton Dome chief executive Andrew Comben said: “It’s wonderful to see so many pieces of artwork of various style and media available to purchase in this very special charity auction.

“The sheer volume and diversity of pieces we have received speaks both of the generosity of the artistic community in supporting local charities like Chestnut Tree House and Brighton Dome as well as the extent of the creative skill and talent on offer across the south coast and beyond.

“I urge you all to go and view the works on the website and see the range and quality on offer.’ Eighty per cent of profits will go to the hospice and 20 per cent to Brighton Dome.

The online auction runs until March 8 and alongside this, the Brighton Dome will host a public exhibition from March 4 to March 6, which is free to enter.

For more details, visit bigheartauction.org.uk

  • The Chestnut Tree House hospice cares for more than 300 children with life-shortening conditions in Sussex and south east Hampshire.

There are potentially 1,000 families with life-limited children in Sussex and the hospice offers support for the whole family including psychological and bereavement support, end of life and short break care and sibling support.

It currently costs more than £3million each year to provide all the care services provided by Chestnut Tree House.

Families are never charged for their care and less than 8p in every pound is funded by the government. For more information visit chestnut-tree-house.org.uk

 

  • Brighton Dome is a registered arts charity committed to providing a groundbreaking programme of performance, art and debate that touches and enriches thousands of lives.

  It is committed to bringing all sorts of art to all sorts of people. This includes offering imaginative new ways to discover and participate – from Saturday morning singing to theatrical make-up workshops.
  The aim is to inspire creativity in people of all ages with experiences to remember.

The venue also plays host to the annual Brighton Festival in May.   
  For more details, visit brightondome.org