A Ryedale mechanic who swapped his tools for crayons and started drawing hopes to raise £1,000 from the sales of his Christmas cards.
Rob Temple is gearing up for the launch of his annual fundraiser on Sunday (November 26) at a Christmas fair at the New Inn, in Cropton.
The 41-year-old from Kirkbymoorside started drawing two years ago.
Rob previously told the Gazette & Herald how he had not drawn since school, but soon got to grips with using crayons to produce artwork.
He has since created around 300 drawings and held exhibitions across Ryedale.
Rob’s last exhibition was at the New Inn in June for his birthday.
Despite the exhibition being on the same day as the Malton Show, Rob said it managed to draw a decent crowd.
“It was very good,” he said. “There was a steady flow of people.”
Drawing is still a hobby for Rob, but he said he would love for it to become a bigger part of his life.
Rob works on his drawings when he’s not working as a mechanic at Cropton Garage, and says he produces five pieces of art per week.
“I have set myself a target of £1,000 and that’s what I want to get,” Rob told the Gazette & Herald.
The cards feature three festive designs, and all sales will go to the charity - helping it support families who have children and young adults with disabilities, illness and additional needs, throughout Ryedale.
On why he chose Ryedale Special Families, Rob said simply: “They’re a good local charity doing great things.”
After Rob raised the total last year, Ryedale Special Families’ funding co-ordinator, Rob Davies, said the charity was “indebted” to the artist for his efforts, and the money would go towards building a purpose-built facility in Pickering.
The funding co-ordinator wished Rob “a huge thanks for raising as much as he did”.
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For this year’s cards, the artist has ordered a starting batch of 50 of each card from a firm online but he is looking for a local printer.
“I’d like a local printer rather than one of the big boys,” Rob said.
The cards will be on sale at Cropton Garage. Rob is also hoping to work with local businesses to sell the cards and increase donations.
Anyone interested in working with Rob on the project is asked to contact him on Instagram (@robsdrawings82) or phone Cropton Garage (01751 417479).
Some of Rob’s work is currently on show at the New Inn.
For more information about the artist, visit: https://www.robsrandomdrawings.com/
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