Retired rocker creates artworks to raise funds for Florida sanctuary for rescued apes
Fresh from his retirement concert with Black Sabbath at the weekend, Ozzy Osbourne has announced a new project: a visual art collaboration with chimpanzees.
Osbourne is a keen amateur painter, and for his latest works he painted multicoloured base coats on to five canvases, with the chimpanzees then adding daubs of their own.
The finished abstract expressionist works are being sold at auction to raise money for Save the Chimps, a sanctuary in Florida for chimpanzees who have been rescued from animal testing labs, poorly run zoos and wildlife traffickers.
“I paint because it gives me peace of mind, but I don’t sell my paintings,” Osbourne said. “I’ve made an exception with these collaborations as it raises money for Save the Chimps.” His wife Sharon Osbourne added: “Chimps are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, and I’m really proud of Ozzy for helping look after them.”
