10:04am Wednesday 23rd April 2008
AN ARTIST is hoping to restore a sense of national pride in Swindon by bringing the story of St George to life.
Mark Amis, 49, of Croft Road, Old Town, yesterday began work on an original oil painting on a two metre by 1.6m canvas in a 24-hour challenge to raise funds for charity.
"I'm very proud of our values and I think our British values have been a great benefit to mankind full stop," he said.
"I do feel we don't celebrate St George and England enough so that's really what started it all."
The painting, which is being done at the Woodman Inn pub, at Fernham, near Faringdon, will depict St George's legendary encounter with the dragon.
Swindon Thamesdown Rotary Club has organised the paintathon event and hopes to raise £5,000 for the Help for Heroes charity, which benefits British service personnel injured in recent conflicts.
"It's really because we've had a lifetime of freedom thanks to the sacrifice of the people in the armed forces so it's my way of saying thank you," he said.
Mark, a well-respected local artist, is best known for the applause sculpture of hands outside the Swindon Arts Centre on Devizes Road.
Once finished, the new painting will be unveiled and signed at a celebratory dinner at a later date.
Mark will speak briefly about the painting and a series of photographs showing its evolution will be on display.
The painting will then be sold off over the next 30 days to the highest bidder to raise money along with some limited edition prints.
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