A TALENTED young artist has been using her artistic flair to raise awareness for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

Sophia Towart, 11, moved to Newby Bridge seven years ago from Newcastle with parents Dawn and Alan Towart.

Devastatingly, four years ago at 45-years-old, Alan, who works for BAE in Barrow, was diagnosed with MND.

Mum Dawn said: “Over lockdown last year Sophia began following art tutorials online and she produced some lovely work.

“She decided she would like to try and sell it at art fairs to raise awareness of MND and money for the MND Association. The MND Association is the main charity in the England that supports families like ours and carries out research to hopefully one day find a cure.

“As Covid continued and art fairs were cancelled, she came up with the idea of turning her artwork into greetings cards and selling through a website.”

The website launched in August 2020, selling1800 cards and raising over £700 by Christmas.

Mrs Towart, of Lakeside, said: “This year her artwork has developed further and she has began to sell prints as well as her cards and Sophia was invited by a friend Georgina, the manager at Whitewall Galleries Newcastle, to display three original pieces. All three pieces sold within two weeks for over £500.

“Now that lockdown is easing, Sophia has booked her first stall at an art fair, Grange over Sands Prom Art May 30.

“Sophia turned 11 last Friday and she has been such an amazing support to our family throughout this awful situation, she is such a caring and sensitive little person who has a huge heart and a huge talent and is using both so productively to help the charity and other families with MND.

“I know what she wished for when she blew her candles out on Friday, the same thing she has wished for every year since April 5, 2017. A cure for her daddy, and I believe this is what is driving her to thrive in her artwork.”

Visit: www.SophiaTowART.co.uk