Unique signed watercolour of Burnley FC star at auction to raise for leukaemia charity

A one-of-a-kind signed watercolour painting of Ashley Barnes which appeared on the cover of the Wolverhampton Wanderers matchday programme is being auctioned off to raise funds for a leukaemia charity.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Oct 2018, 10:03 BST
Updated 23rd Oct 2018, 12:18 BST

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Louise Cobbold with her painting of Ashley Barnes.Louise Cobbold with her painting of Ashley Barnes.
Louise Cobbold with her painting of Ashley Barnes.

The unique piece of artwork by Suffolk-based artist Louise Cobbold was originally commissioned by the Midlands club as part of a project to create a truly special collection of matchday programmes for Wolves' return to the Premier League and raise invaluable funds for Cure Leukaemia, Good Shepherd Ministry Wolverhampton, Race Against Blood Cancer, and YMCA Black Country.

Having adorned the matchday programme for the Clarets' 1-0 loss at Molineaux, the original painting of the Burnley striker - which is signed by Louise as well as Barnes and comes mounted and framed - is one of 10 pieces of artwork by Louise which depict the likes of Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola; former Wolves goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme; Wolves captain, Connor Coady; former Clarets striker, Danny Ings; and Wolves manager, Nuno Espirito Santo.

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“When Wolves approached my husband Chris and I with the idea to partner on this project, for us there was not even a decision to make,” Louise told wolves.co.uk. “Three months in, I genuinely still cannot believe that my watercolour paintings are being used on the covers of a Premier League team’s matchday programme!

“The feedback so far has been very encouraging, not only from our fans who have been incredibly supportive even before this project, but also from away fans who really seem to have warmed to the covers," she added.

Former Wolves goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme, was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in July of 2017 at the age of just 31 and is now thankfully in complete remission following a bout of chemotherapy which nevertheless forced him to retire last year.

Already up for auction, 100% of the funds raised through the sale of the Barnes painting will be donated to Cure Leukaemia, a charity which helps fund the world class Centre for Clinical Haematology in Birmingham and a network of specialist research nurses in the UK to not only save lives but also hasten progress towards eradicating blood cancer completely within the next 30 years.

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As well as the 10 original pieces, limited edition prints of Louise's art will also be made available to ensure that the unique artwork remains accessible to all fans, with a minimum 10% of the profits from sales being donated to Cure Leukaemia.

To view the listing on eBay, head to: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Original-Ashley-Barnes-watercolour-Painting/392150687512?hash=item5b4e009f18:g:A5AAAOSwHMhbxifq:rk:4:pf:0

For more details on the other items up for auction, go to sportspersonalities.org/auction, follow Louise on Twitter @SPLouiseCobbold, or head to her website at http://www.louisecobbold.com/.

Related topics:Ashley BarnesBurnleyCure LeukaemiaPep GuardiolaSuffolk