Art auction in memory of dear aunt

A CORK woman is auctioning some of her late aunt’s work, both in her memory and to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society.

Julie Daunt, from Fountainstown, described her aunt Maureen Morris as a very colourful person whose biggest passion in life was art. Sadly, she lost her battle with ovarian cancer in December, 2021, aged 80, but Julie, a product designer, artist and crafter herself, said Maureen would be thrilled to know her work was ending up in new homes, while also helping people on their cancer journey.

Dublin-based Maureen showed great bravery and strength throughout the illness, right to the end, despite the added challenges of the pandemic, said her niece.

“Maureen first began to complain about issues with indigestion. She had issues with her stomach before, and thought she may have had a small hernia again,” said Julie.

“We were advising her to get it checked out. Her doctor sent her for a scan and the results showed she had stage 3 ovarian cancer.

“The doctors immediately began treatment, but given the stage she was at, the care she received was maintenance and palliative. She had a few rounds of chemotherapy, which initially slowed the progress of the disease, and her markers improved.

“However, the pandemic hit, so a lot of services and treatments stopped for her. It also meant we couldn’t visit her.

“During the summer last year, she began more chemotherapy, but this time it caused issues with her stomach and it could not be continued. She had to stick to a liquid diet and take a lot of medication.

“Throughout her cancer journey, she was always brave. She had great inner strength. However, her condition worsened, and she spent a lot of time in hospital. She was transferred to a local hospice, and was only there for a few days, when she passed away in her sleep. I was due to see her that weekend, and she died on the Friday morning.

“She had been discussing with family about my visit and what she wanted me to do with her art collection and art books,” Julie remembers.

That was typical of an ever-generous Maureen.

“She was a very colourful person, from her personality to her clothes and hair. She loved jewellery too, and I could always hear her coming to answer the door, because of all her bangles and beaded necklaces.

“She was very generous, and I never left the house without her gifting me something, from a piece of jewellery or a tea set or a scarf.

“She loved visiting craft markets and antique shops, and had a large collection of items in her house. It was like visiting a museum!”

Art was everything to Maureen and she did a Fine Arts course, and many other classes, and was always learning and exploring new styles of art.

“She had a library of art books in her studio, with nearly every page marked with post-it notes detailing her thoughts. And she always wanted to share her art with others and for it to be on display.

“She had held exhibitions in the past, and so I wanted to showcase her artwork for her. I also wanted to fulfil her wish that I would look after her collection, and make sure her artworks go to new homes.

“Given her generosity too, I wanted to raise funds for charity, which would please her very much,” explained Julie.

After exploring different options, and discussing it with her family, she decided to run a charity art raffle and auction online on Facebook.

“I have selected three of Maureen’s artworks as prizes. To enter, I am asking people to make a suggested donation of €20, or whatever people can afford.

“I am also sharing other paintings she created, and if someone would like to own one, they can make a suggested donation of €75 or more, and then choose from the collection. All donations are going directly to the Irish Cancer Society.

“If people are not on Facebook, they can send me the donation, and I can make it on their behalf then. Or they can donate on the Irish Cancer Society website, and just share with me a receipt of their donation to be entered into the raffle, which will be held on Thursday, March 31.”

Julie said that Maureen would be delighted to know her artwork is helping others on their cancer journey, and she added: “I would also advise anyone who is concerned about unusual symptoms to go see their doctor.”

Search ‘In memory of Maureen artwork raffle and auction’ on Facebook or contact Julie on Instagram at julieirisdesign