Auction's air of mystery puts the art into focus

When two Welsh artists and carers set out to organise a fundraiser in aid of Carers Wales, they never imagined it would grow into a star-studded art auction featuring more than 250 works - and even a piece from Picasso's former muse. Mark Rees went to meet them

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TWO Welsh artists and carers have pulled off a remarkable feat: gathering more than 250 original artworks - including contributions from big-name artists and even Picasso's former muse - for a landmark fundraising event in aid of Carers Wales.

It all began at a committee meeting of the charity, where members were exploring ways to mark its 60th anniversary. Among those involved was Jocelyn Prosser from Neath - an artist, carer and long-serving committee member - who floated the idea of an art sale. That soon developed into a postcard auction and, along with her longtime friend and fellow artist-carer Therese James from Llanelli, the pair began turning it into reality.

Hundreds of postcard-sized artworks will be shown in an exhibition, and later sold in an online auction, raising funds for the charity that supports unpaid carers across Wales. But there's a twist - the names of the artists will only be revealed after the bidding ends.

I met Jocelyn and Therese, along with Rob Simkins from Carers Wales, for coffee just across the road from Queen Street Gallery in Neath, where the exhibition will take place. Thanks to their efforts, the space will soon be filled with postcards - and people - raising money for a cause that's deeply personal for all involved.

"I just wanted to give something back," says Jocelyn, who sits on the advisory board of Carers Wales and has been a volunteer for 13 years. "They always say, do what you know - and I know art."

It was a very different story when she first contacted the charity, in tears, during a moment of crisis.

"I was very, very down," she recalls. "This salt-of-the-earth woman on the other end just said: 'You tell social services you can't fulfil your caring role unless they support you.' That one sentence changed everything."