SWINDON-born artist Anna Mazzotta is auctioning a signed portrait of DJ and producer Fatboy Slim to raise money for a friend’s ground-breaking cancer treatment.

Anna is a world-renowned painter and artist known for her colourful and emotive portraits of stars, including Jane Fonda and Michael Jackson.

When he saw his picture Norman Cook, who uses the stage name Fatboy Slim, tweeted: “Digging this piece by Anna Mazzotta.”

The 5ft by 3ft portrait entitled Midnight at café Mambo also said he found it intriguing. The work, to go to auction on May 2 and will be signed by the artist herself and Norman Cook, who has also announced he will bid on the work.

MTV and Brit award winner Fatboy Slim had his first solo UK number one with his third single Praise You in 1999.

The auction will fund potentially life-saving cancer treatment for Anna friend Giselle Chamberlain who recently recovered from breast cancer. Friends and family are now fighting to fund her immunotherapy, not available on the NHS, after cancer returned and major surgery was unsuccessful.

“I’ve always loved vintage and cinema, it’s inspired my work really, the theatre and glamour,” said Anna, “It’s my style. They’re not photographic but it does have the essence of her. Surrounded by glamour, costume, fashion and colour.

“I don’t like working from photographs. It tends to be quite still. Drawing from imagination there’s more freedom. Obviously I need use some photographs as a reference for some features, but other than that I just let my imagination go wild.”

Anna is also staging a new Diana Dors exhibition at Swindon Central Library in May, showcasing paintings and charcoals depicting the star throughout her life and career.

She takes inspiration from the films that made Diana famous, like 1957 thriller Yield to the Night. “It really showcases her talent. A lot of people think she was a blonde bomb shell and the UK version of Marilyn Monroe, but she was a lot more than that. She was a really fantastic actress. She was wearing hardly any make up in this film and she was stunning, an absolutely beautiful lady. She’s an icon.”