We are so excited to announce that at 9am tomorrow morning (11 December) 25 signed and numbered prints of an original Sir Quentin Blake KBE drawing will go on sale on our website.

Quentin Blake, best known for his distinctive illustrations in the books by Roald Dahl, has donated the drawing to help us raise funding during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The drawing, known as The Collector, depicts a man striding downhill with his dogs and an overflowing knapsack. Twenty-five signed and numbered prints of this unique work will be available to purchase on our website tomorrow, as well as the opportunity to win a signed print through a raffle-style competition. The original drawing will be auctioned privately.

Artworks is known as the ‘The Everybody School of Art’ due to our ethos of being open to all, and championing the value of art and creativity in everyday life. Over the years, a key focus of our work has been using art to support mental health and wellbeing. Quentin Blake joined us as a patron in 2017 to support the organisation to meet these commitments.

Speaking about his links to Artworks, Quentin Blake said: “I draw almost every day of the year and really appreciate the profound effect that it can have on mental health and general wellbeing, particularly during periods of strife. Artworks aims to connect as many people as possible with the healing powers of art and inspire the next generation of artists. It’s a privilege to be associated with such an inspiring institution and I’m delighted that I’m able to support the organisation to continue its important work during these challenging times.”

We run a comprehensive programme of creative activity designed to connect people with art in its various forms, including free and subsidised workshops for people with lived experience of mental ill health and those on low incomes. Unfortunately, we’ve had to suspend this programme for much of 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Artworks Director and former student of Quentin Blake, John Ross, said: “‘Like so many organisations in our sector, 2020 has been a very difficult year for our school for all the obvious reasons and our future is looking far from secure. A massive thank you then to Quentin for donating to Artworks this important drawing which will hopefully enable us to raise critical funding in this desperate time.

We’re excited to be able to end the year on a high by offering this rare opportunity to purchase a unique piece of signed Quentin Blake art just in time for Christmas. A founding principle at Artworks is that art should be accessible to all, irrespective of financial circumstances, which is why we’re particularly happy to be running a raffle-style competition to win a signed print, alongside the sale. Don’t miss your opportunity to secure a much sought-after piece of art for your home or as the perfect Christmas gift, as interest is guaranteed to be high.”

Twenty-five signed prints of The Collector will go on sale at 9am on 11 December. The competition can be entered using the same link.