Celebrity Sketches: Unique Novelty Drawings Auctioned For School

Proceeds from the sketches, which range from a brief message of ‘Go for it’ from Bear Grylls to a drawing of a guitar by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, will raise money for Clifford Primary School in Hay-on-Wye.

The unique images were drawn by a variety of authors, television stars and comedians who were approached during Hay Festival 2015 to make a sketch for the auction.

Celebrities including Michael Morpurgo, Jacqueline Wilson, Mary Portas and Dick and Dom created a series of original images - varying from the accomplished to the entertaining.

Each sketch sold will help fund a new outdoor class room and music resource for the school.

The well-known artists were delighted to be involved in the project - with illustrators The Etherington Brothers so dedicated to their sketch that they returned to the drawing several times over the day to ensure it was perfect.

Philosopher A.C. Grayling, drew his first sketch on the back of Stephen Fry's so the lucky buyer will get a bonus A.C. Grayling on the reverse.

Comedian and author James Campbell even offered to come and perform a free show in the new outdoor classroom when it is built.

The sketches were all drawn in the Green Room, on the Hay Festival site, using a mixture of pencils, highlighters, sharpies and pens.

The Clifford PTFA has organised an online eBAY auction of the 30 sketches, which starts on Wednesday, September 16, at 8pm with the Stephen Fry sketch.

Clifford PTFA member Egbert Smit, who has two children at the school, worked with other parents to get the auction up and running.

Egbert, 41, said: "All celebrities were speaking at Hay Festival 2015 and Clifford Primary school happens to be just down the road from Hay-on-Wye that is situated on the border between England and Wales.

"They were approached during the festival to make a sketch for our auction. Next to the artists, many thanks to Hay Festival for their support and for letting us talk to celebs and put them to task.

"My personal favourite is the Etherington Brothers' amazing sketch but some other big names that will ring many bells: David Gilmour, Stephen Fry, Jude Law, Mary Portas, Monty Michael Morpurgo, Monty Don and Bear Grylls.

"We expect to reach many fans of the celebrities involved. Once the auctions goes live we will be very active on Twitter to ensure as many people as possible take an interest in the auction and bid on the sketches.

"We have also made the eBAY auction open for residents abroad which should further broaden the appeal. The overall reaction should be a healthy dose of interest, a bit of a hype for some artists and a number of bidding wars resulting in high selling prices.

“The recent Clifford show raised £3,000 so we want to beat that."

Chair of Clifford PTFA, Hannah Sampson, said: "We're really grateful to Hay Festival Artists who made time to sketch in aid of our PTFA appeal. The funds raised will let us build an outdoor classroom.

"We're sure the children will love the new learning space and that it'll be a place where many happy school memories are made.”

Mrs Thomas, Head Teacher at Clifford Primary School, said: "We are thrilled to have been presented with so many fantastic sketches from famous visitors to this year’s Hay Festival.

"The children and staff are very excited about the prospect of working and learning together in a purpose built outdoor classroom and extremely grateful to everyone who has brought this fundraising project together.”

"The children and staff are very excited about the prospect of working and learning together in a purpose built outdoor classroom and extremely grateful to everyone who has brought this fundraising project together.”

Details of the auction can be found at: http://cliffordprimary.com/ptfaauction.html and at eBAY user-id “clifford.sch”.