Famous Kiwis get artistic for Daffodil Day

A group of well-known New Zealanders have created unique artworks for the Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day as part of the ANZ Daffodil Day Art Auction, and the results are amazing.
“A couple of weeks ago we sent blank sheets of paper away to 20 prominent Kiwis, and we’ve been blown away by the flair and originality of the artworks they sent back,” said Fred Ohlsson, Managing Director Retail and Business Banking for ANZ, the principal sponsor of Daffodil Day.
“There is some serious artistic talent out there. We’re really excited about auctioning the artworks on Trade Me to raise money for such a great cause.”
The brief for the artists was simple there were no rules. They were asked to simply create an artwork which could be auctioned; it could be a sketch, painting, pastel, collage, abstract or even a poem or verse.
The framed artworks will be available for auction on Trade Me from August 18-27, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to support the Cancer Society.
Man Booker prize winner Eleanor Catton, celebrity chef Al Brown and netball legend Irene van Dyk are just a few of the famous Kiwis putting their creative hats on in support of the Cancer Society’s annual fundraising drive.
Catton’s work ‘Owl’ (Acrylic on canvas, 2014) was inspired by a family tradition.
“This is a wonderful initiative that I was honoured to be a part of,” said Ms Catton.
“We have a great need for cancer awareness in New Zealand and the Cancer Society does wonderful work on behalf of those in need. For this auction I painted an owl, the totem animal my family bestowed on me at my birth.”
Art commentator Hamish Keith expects the works to raise a sizeable sum. “It is wonderful to see such a rich variety of imagination at work.”

The New Zealanders generously taking part in the ANZ Daffodil Day Art Auction are:
Al Brown, Eleanor Catton, Sally Ridge, Jaime Ridge, Irene van Dyk, Zambesi, Nadia Lim, David Dallas and Leilani Momoisea, Rawdon Christie, Duncan Garner and Family, Askew One, Megan Sellers, Deacon ‘What we do in the Shadows’ (aka Jonathan Brugh), Wayne Hapi, Lizzie Marvelly, Julien Dyne, Sarah Ulmer, Sara Hughes, Shane Hansen.