Frances Hamer took up painting to pass the time during lockdown and now she is selling her artwork to support Galloway’s in memory of her dad.
She has so far raised £400 for the sight loss charity Galloway’s which supported her dad, William Taylor, who had macular degeneration.
William regularly collected money in Preston city centre for the charity. When he died last October aged 95, a collection for Galloway’s was held in his honour.
During the New Year lockdown, Frances taught herself how to paint using watercolours and as friends expressed an interest in buying her work, she set up a Facebook page to raise money for Galloway’s:
“During the most recent lockdown, I wanted to learn something new and be creative. My partner bought me some watercolour paints and I just started trying things out in January. I realised I was doing it fairly well and thought it would be a nice idea to raise money in memory of my dad.
“I have sold more than 20 paintings so far. I don’t do commissions to keep it all low key and simple. I am happy just to paint something and see if anyone wants to buy it.”
Choosing which charity to raise money for was an easy decision for her:
“My dad was a big supporter of Galloway’s and I thought it would be nice to keep his memory alive and give something back. I remember him collecting for Galloway’s in Preston city centre in all weathers, up until his health meant he could no longer do it.
“He really appreciated the support Galloway’s gave him as it allowed him to be independent. He bought a lot of equipment and useful aids from the charity, such as magnifiers, a talking microwave and he enjoyed getting the Talking News.”
Frances is hoping that she can put on an art exhibition for Galloway’s in the future:
“My idea next year is to hold a gallery sale with other artists of different crafts and mediums and raise money for Galloway’s. I just want to give something back.”
Georgia Murphy, Fundraiser at Galloway’s, expressed how delighted the charity is with Frances fundraising efforts:
“On behalf of everyone at Galloway’s, I would like to thank Frances for raising money in loving memory of her father William. We are always extremely grateful to be remembered for the work we do and it is so lovely to hear how we helped William.
“Frances’ artwork looks absolutely amazing and we wish her all the best in selling them. Through Frances’ kind generosity, we can continue to empower local visually impaired people to live independently.”
If you would like to help Frances raise as much as possible for Galloway’s, visit her fundraising page here.
