Senior fine art major Darcie Denton is selling her artwork to support relief efforts for the Australian bushfires. She has been creating prints of koalas using linocut techniques, which is a form of printmaking. Currently, she has raised $140.
As of Jan. 6, at least 25 lives have been claimed by the bushfires, according to NPR. The fires started gaining worldwide media coverage early January, which was around the same time Denton learned how to create linocut prints. When she saw that other people were selling their artwork to raise money for Australia, it inspired her to do the same.
“For me personally, I don’t have much of a connection to [the Australian bushfires], except that it was really sad to see all the footage and all the people and animals going through this horrible thing,” Denton said. “I’ve always wanted my art to help people, whether it be encouraging people or raising money for a good cause. I want to make a positive difference with my art.”
Denton said her goal is to support relief efforts by helping the people who are affected by and fighting the fires. She also desires to help the animals injured by the tragedies.
Denton is selling her artwork for $25 per print on her Etsy shop “that1artist” and is donating 80 percent of the income to support relief efforts. Although she has not yet chosen a specific organization to donate to, she is considering options such as wildlife charities, fire brigades and humanitarian agencies like the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).
“It’s just a little thing that I’m doing, but a little can go a long way,” Denton said.
