Local Artist Creates Rainbow Art To Raise Money For NHS Charities Together

Local artist and co-owner of York’s Braithwaite Gallery, Mark Braithwaite, has created a special edition of his iconic Rosebud series to raise money for NHS Charities Together

In recent weeks children across the country have been decorating their windows with rainbows as a symbol of support for the NHS. Now, local artist Mark Braithwaite has honoured these scenes with a new charity print - Rosebud, Sing a Rainbow.

The image depicts Rosebud at her easel drawing the now infamous rainbow, alongside a few of her stuffed toy friends. This will be the 42nd in the Rosebud series which was originally modelled on Mark and his wife Anne’s daughter when she was a child. In fact, the series came about by chance after Mark’s first drawing was a present for a family member. The character struck a chord and Miss Rosebud was born. It is, therefore, a particular favourite as she captures those precious childhood moments of fun or mischief.


Now Rosebud is embodying a moment of hope. The funds raised will go to the NHS Charities Together Covid-19 Urgent Appeal which was organised in liaison with health bodies, NHS Charities Together member charities and national giving platforms to help NHS staff and volunteers impacted by Covid-19 across the country. The money raised will fund schemes that go above and beyond what NHS funding can ordinarily provide such as wellbeing packs, as well as costs associated with travel, parking, accommodation and volunteer expenses.

For Mark, this is incredibly important:
“The NHS is currently going above and beyond in what they are doing for us. This is just a small way in which I can help and give something back to a community that has always supported my work and the Braithwaite Gallery. Times are certainly difficult at the moment and there is great uncertainty as to when we will be able to open the gallery again, but the work of the NHS and the support of the wider community means the absolute world to me and my wife, Anne.”

People wanting to support this cause alongside Mark can do so in two ways. Firstly, Mark is holding a charity raffle until 28th June for the original artwork worth £350 via the charity fundraising site ​Zaffo​. This original work is in graphite and polychromos pencil on watercolour paper and is completely unique.

In conjunction, prints (30 x 40cm) are now also available online at ​www.yorkartist.com​ for £12 of which £5 of each sale, until the end of June, will be donated to NHS Charities Together. There is also a larger 40x50cm size available for £20. For those planning to give these cheerful prints as gifts, it is possible to receive the special multi-buy offer as well - with 2 for £20, 3 for £28 and 5 for £44. Importantly Mark will sign every single charity print too, as an extra thank you for supporting this incredible cause to bring a little light to a dark time.

Tickets are available here: ​https://supportnhscharitiestogether.zaffo.com/#/ticket-select

More information about Mark can be found here https://www.yorkartist.com