AN ARTIST from Leamington will be streaming a live-drawing event to raise money for the Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund.
Chrissie Callaghan decided to take action to help communities impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The mum-of-one aims to create images and feelings of refugees and impacted communities captured on the news through a combination of ink, watercolours and pencil – over a course of eight hours.
She explained her technique: “I have a few ways of working and they are quite different. As an illustrator, I work predominantly in a loose and energetic style.
“I do quite a lot of pet portraits through the illustration side of my business – Sketchy Beast Studio.
“I also make sculptures and paintings in my own time which explore a variety of subjects.”
The illustrator said being a mother heightened her emotional response to the crisis.
She told the Observer: “A couple of years back when my son was still a tiny baby I found myself getting very emotionally involved with the conflict in Syria, and I wanted to do something to help refugees but with a more or less newborn to look after I found it impossible to focus and instead just became quite depressed.
“I think having a baby changed my perspective on things in some ways. Once you feel that kind of love and vulnerability you empathise more with others in the same boat, and the thought of mothers and children living in a war zone became overwhelmingly hard to deal with.
“I was also aware of how fortunate I was, but how that in itself could change so easily. It was an unsettling time.”
So far Chrissie has raised £360 ahead of the live stream which will take place on Tuesday March 8.
She explained, now her son was a little older, she wanted to take action.
“When things began to escalate on the borders of Ukraine, I felt that same kind of sinking dread, but this time decided to try and do something positive, even if it’s just a drop in the ocean. I thought about what I had to offer, and well, I’m an artist, so that’s what I chose – it’s all I can do.”
Chrissie’s livestream event can be viewed via justgiving.com/fundraising/chrissiecallaghan where donations can also be made.
Chrissie has also designed and launched a t-shirt campaign with all profits contributing to the relief fund.
Visit everpress.com/help-ukraine to buy a t-shirt.
