Barnet artist Joanna Gilbert has put one of her latest paintings on online auction site Ebay to raise money for charity.
The 31-year-old hopes her depiction of an Israeli soldier praying for peace at the Kotel in Jerusalem will raise at least £1,000 for UK Friends of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers (UK Friends of AWIS).
Gilbert decided to volunteer the picture, Painting Peace, after an Israeli friend, who had been in the army, was moved to tears by the image and suggested donating it to a charity that supported Israeli soldiers.
But it was eventually agreed that selling it to raise money for such a charity would be even more helpful.
“Miri walked into my house halfway through my painting and she burst into tears with emotion,” Gilbert recalls.
“The concept was borne out of a desire to remind people in the UK who can be quick to criticise the heavy-handedness of the Israeli army, that those soldiers are doing all of us a service and praying for peace just like us.”
It is the first time the artist, whose Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein-inspired works adorn the head offices of House of Fraser and M&S among other familiar High Street names, has sold a painting for charity, but there could be more in the pipeline if it generates sufficient interest.
The auction closes at 9pm on 6 December.
View Joanna’s work at http://www.joannagilbert.com
Bid for the painting at http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Original-pop-art-Painting-Peace-by-Joanna-Gilbert_...
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