OZZY OSBOURNE Goes Ape In New Collaboration With Chimpanzees
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Hot on the heels of Ozzy Osbourne's farewell show with BLACK SABBATH, the Prince Of Darkness himself has teamed up with a different group of artists: ex-lab chimps who enjoy creating abstract art.
Esteemed rock royalty and national treasure Ozzy Osbourne may have hung up on his microphone and retired from his rock 'n' roll antics, but he's still monkeying around with his latest collaboration.
A talented artist in his own right, Osbourne has turned his brush to an important and brilliant collaboration with a chimpanzee sanctuary.
"I paint because it gives me peace of mind, but I don't sell my paintings," says Ozzy. "I've made an exception with these collaborations as it raises money for Save The Chimps, a sanctuary for hundreds of apes rescued from labs, roadside zoos and wildlife traffickers."
Ozzy painted intricate, multi-colored acrylic basecoats on five 20"x20" canvases, then the ape artists at the sanctuary added their own brushstrokes. The signed artworks are named after Osbourne's own songs or albums.
Fans can now bid on the paintings exclusively at Omega Auctions, a top auction house for music memorabilia, which donated its services for the project. Bids start at one thousand pounds and the auction closes on July 17.
"Chimps are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, and I'm really proud of Ozzy for helping look after them," says Sharon Osbourne. "These paintings will not only raise much-needed funds for the sanctuary, they'll help promote awareness to the public."
"Painting is just one of many enrichment activities we offer our residents," says Save The Chimps events director Dan Mathews, who previewed the paintings to the Osbournes in Birmingham just ahead of Osbourne's farewell performance. "Some really enjoy it, while others prefer food puzzles, foraging activities, or picture books."
Founded 25 years ago and situated on 150 acres in Fort Pierce, Florida, Save The Chimps is the largest privately funded chimpanzee sanctuary in the world. Supporters include Jane Goodall, Paul McCartney, Bryan Adams, Alan Cumming, Gillian Anderson, THE B-52S and the Arcus Foundation. Corporate sponsor FedEx provided free shipping of Ozzy's collection to and from the sanctuary.
(Source: www.blabbermouth.net)
