After 45 years as a chef, Kevin Dowson is hoping his artwork will prove a winning recipe to raise funds for cancer charities.
Mr Dowson worked at The Bowes Museum until he was diagnosed with stage four cancer two years ago.
His illness forced him to give up his job, but gave him an opportunity to revisit his lifelong passion for art.
Now he’s selling greetings card based on his work at The Bowes Museum shop, with the proceeds going to Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Mr Dowson’s colourful cards feature characters from his stories of racing ducks and bungling mouse plumbers.
One series stars an array of ducks from around the globe competing to set the world water speed record. From German eider ducks to American shoveller, plus British Wing Commander Mallard Drake, there’s a lively back story – and a nod to decades of English footballing defeats to the Germans.
Another series features the antics of Bodger and Scarper, a pair of mouse plumbers and their struggles with everyday human-sized objects.
The animal tales are inspired by the likes Jill Barklem’s Brambly Hedge series and, of course, the Beatrix Potter stories, but the artwork has its own distinctive style.
“I purposely try not to do my mice like somebody else’s,” Mr Dowson said. “I want to put my own stamp on it, to do it in my own way. Otherwise you feel like you’re just copying.”
With no formal art training – “going to art college or university was out of the question – at that age I had to knuckle down, get a job and pay the mortgage!” – other self-taught artists are an inspiration.
Work by Jack Vettriano, Banksy, Beryl Cook and Van Gogh find their way into a tribute to some of the artist’s influences.
Undergoing cancer treatment brings its own challenges, with chemo appointments every three weeks. Side effects include sickness, fatigue and numbness in fingers and toes.
So art plays a therapeutic role as well: “The hardest part was the shock when I was first diagnosed. But you have to accept it and the artwork sort of took over. It gives me something to do and it keeps me going.
“And maybe it gives a chance to give something back to the charities that have done so much to support me.
“Cancer treatment is so expensive, but if everybody could do a little bit that would help to meet those costs.
“Last year, my wife Hazel raised more than £1,000 running the Kielder Half Marathon. There’s no way I can run a marathon, but maybe I can do something with this.”
- Kevin Dowson’s greetings cards, printed with support from Castle Print in Richmond, are on sale at The Bowes Museum shop, with all profits divided between two cancer charities.
