Meet the ten-year-old whose floral paintings can sell for up to £10K
Meet the ten-year-old 'mini Monet' whose stunning floral landscape paintings can sell for up to £10,000.Daisy Watt only started painting four years ago when two of her grandparents were diagnosed with cancer and she painted them a picture to cheer them up.Her mum Karen, 50, spotted her talent, and asked if she'd like to paint a canvas to be displayed at a local gallery and auctioned for two cancer charities.Bidders from all over the world fought to buy the work featuring forget-me-nots for those who had died and bright flowers for those who survived, and it went for £9,500.She has gone on to make £50,000 through her work - all donated to charity - selling one-off originals, and prints which go for £100 a piece.Aptly-named Daisy's work always feature flowers and she loves nothing more than heading out of her studio and into the garden with her paints - tester pots from B&Q.Karen, a primary school teacher, and project-manager dad Charlie, 50, said humble Daisy gets embarrassed by praise, and doesn't realise her own talent.The mum-of-three from Misson, South Yorkshire, said: "I'm just so proud of her. "She's always been into arts and crafts and has been ever since she could hold a paintbrush. "But over the past few years her work really has caught people's attention. "Although she's always been really creative it was when she created that painting for her grandparents that we realised she had something special."I've always kept a lot of flowers in the garden and we live in the countryside so that probably inspires her. "I've always let her paint and be messy ever since she was small. "I'm a primary school teacher and have a degree in art but she is better than me. "One time we were sitting down painting tulips and I turned to her and said 'right how are we going to figure out the shape here?'"I was trying to work it out and in that time she was dipping her paintbrush in different paints. "Then with three different colours on the brush she started to paint. "It just comes so naturally to her."It was just the perfect tulip and you can't knock talent like that!"Daisy painted a garden scene to show her maternal grandfather Arthur before he passed away in 2016, aged 75 and paternal grandmother Polly, now 89, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer around the same time.Karen loved the painting and asked a local gallery if they'd like to auction off another similar artwork by Daisy, in aid of cancer charities Firefly and Cancer Research.The large artwork was more in depth, and changed in colour tone, going from dark to light, to represent the battle with cancer.It sold in 2017 for £9,500 and was so popular 100 special edition prints were commissioned and snapped up by buyers from the likes of Canada and Hong Kong.It sparked a true passion for Daisy, and now she paints most days, using paint samples she picks up from B&Q after school.She paints floral paintings with each flower representing a different stage in someone's fight against cancer.Karen added: "The daffodils are people surviving cancer but haven't beaten it yet."The stars represent people who have lost their battle while the sun represents people who have beaten it. "There's always a floral element to her paintings. "Someone asked her what her favourite flower was to paint and she answered 'Daisies'."When she was asked why that was she said 'because it's my name!'.
It's quite a lovely touch."She's auctioned dozens of works - around 25 - for charity.Cancer Research feature one of her works on their 'thank you' cards to families whose loves ones make legacy donations.Last November Daisy won the Yorkshire Young Achiever for Arts award and has won The Don Valley Festival for the past four years. During lockdown she painted a rainbow of miniature daisies, as a tribute to frontline workers.She raised nearly £1,700 for the NHS with magnets and cards of the design.Karen added: "She'll spend anything from five minutes to half an hour painting away."But she has to be in the mood to do it. "She knows how to make something from a standard flower painting into something really quite special. "She doesn't have to draw an outline and will splat the paint in just the right place."The thing is she is really shy and humble about her work. "When I tell people and they go over to compliment her, she always says 'Mum why did you have to tell them?'"She cringes at the attention and doesn't see what all the fuss is about. "I hope when she's older she realises just what a special thing she has been doing. "Every single penny she raises goes to charity and it's making a big, big difference to people's lives."Over the years I have just loved to see her developing. "Whenever I go into an exhibition I can spot hers straight away. "People just love the colours, love the depth and the creativity of it. "I'm just her biggest fan!"
Meet the ten-year-old 'mini Monet' whose stunning floral landscape paintings can sell for up to £10,000.Daisy Watt only started painting four years ago when two of her grandparents were diagnosed with cancer and she painted them a picture to cheer them up.Her mum Karen, 50, spotted her talent, and asked if she'd like to paint a canvas to be displayed at a local gallery and auctioned for two cancer charities.Bidders from all over the world fought to buy the work featuring forget-me-nots for those who had died and bright flowers for those who survived, and it went for £9,500.She has gone on to make £50,000 through her work - all donated to charity - selling one-off originals, and prints which go for £100 a piece.Aptly-named Daisy's work always feature flowers and she loves nothing more than heading out of her studio and into the garden with her paints - tester pots from B&Q.Karen, a primary school teacher, and project-manager dad Charlie, 50, said humble Daisy gets embarrassed by praise, and doesn't realise her own talent.The mum-of-three from Misson, South Yorkshire, said: "I'm just so proud of her.
"She's always been into arts and crafts and has been ever since she could hold a paintbrush.
"But over the past few years her work really has caught people's attention.
"Although she's always been really creative it was when she created that painting for her grandparents that we realised she had something special."I've always kept a lot of flowers in the garden and we live in the countryside so that probably inspires her.
"I've always let her paint and be messy ever since she was small.
"I'm a primary school teacher and have a degree in art but she is better than me.
"One time we were sitting down painting tulips and I turned to her and said 'right how are we going to figure out the shape here?'"I was trying to work it out and in that time she was dipping her paintbrush in different paints.
"Then with three different colours on the brush she started to paint.
"It just comes so naturally to her."It was just the perfect tulip and you can't knock talent like that!"Daisy painted a garden scene to show her maternal grandfather Arthur before he passed away in 2016, aged 75 and paternal grandmother Polly, now 89, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer around the same time.Karen loved the painting and asked a local gallery if they'd like to auction off another similar artwork by Daisy, in aid of cancer charities Firefly and Cancer Research.The large artwork was more in depth, and changed in colour tone, going from dark to light, to represent the battle with cancer.It sold in 2017 for £9,500 and was so popular 100 special edition prints were commissioned and snapped up by buyers from the likes of Canada and Hong Kong.It sparked a true passion for Daisy, and now she paints most days, using paint samples she picks up from B&Q after school.She paints floral paintings with each flower representing a different stage in someone's fight against cancer.Karen added: "The daffodils are people surviving cancer but haven't beaten it yet."The stars represent people who have lost their battle while the sun represents people who have beaten it.
"There's always a floral element to her paintings.
"Someone asked her what her favourite flower was to paint and she answered 'Daisies'."When she was asked why that was she said 'because it's my name!'.
It's quite a lovely touch."She's auctioned dozens of works - around 25 - for charity.Cancer Research feature one of her works on their 'thank you' cards to families whose loves ones make legacy donations.Last November Daisy won the Yorkshire Young Achiever for Arts award and has won The Don Valley Festival for the past four years.
During lockdown she painted a rainbow of miniature daisies, as a tribute to frontline workers.She raised nearly £1,700 for the NHS with magnets and cards of the design.Karen added: "She'll spend anything from five minutes to half an hour painting away."But she has to be in the mood to do it.
"She knows how to make something from a standard flower painting into something really quite special.
"She doesn't have to draw an outline and will splat the paint in just the right place."The thing is she is really shy and humble about her work.
"When I tell people and they go over to compliment her, she always says 'Mum why did you have to tell them?'"She cringes at the attention and doesn't see what all the fuss is about.
"I hope when she's older she realises just what a special thing she has been doing.
"Every single penny she raises goes to charity and it's making a big, big difference to people's lives."Over the years I have just loved to see her developing.
"Whenever I go into an exhibition I can spot hers straight away.
"People just love the colours, love the depth and the creativity of it.
