Pip Taylor (wearing the 2018 fundraising t-shirt) with Dick Frizell's new signed print which will be auctioned and made into this year's t-shirt. Photo / Ian Cooper
Pip Taylor (wearing the 2018 fundraising t-shirt) with Dick Frizell's new signed print which will be auctioned and made into this year's t-shirt. Photo / Ian Cooper
A new Dick Frizzell print will be auctioned this week to raise money for the Hawke's Bay Cancer Society.
Every year the Hawke's Bay Cancer Society produces a T-shirt with a New Zealand artist to sell as a Daffodil Day fundraiser.
This year legendary New Zealand artist Dick Frizell ison board, creating a new design for the T-shirt as well as signing the first new print for auction.
Frizzell said he got on board as his sister, Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick, is friends with Hawke's Bay Cancer Society events/fundraising co-ordinator Pip Taylor and he has done work for cancer fundraisers in the past.
Taylor said a few years ago Dick's son Otis Frizzell designed the fundraising T-shirt, and given Frizell's connection to Hawke's Bay they figured they'd give asking him a shot - and they are "hugely grateful" that he agreed.
The artwork "Daffy to Daffy" features Daffy Duck turning into a daffodil, in the iconic Mickey to Tiki format Frizzell has become known for.
His first idea was two daffodils talking to each other having what he called "a daffy discourse", but some feedback from wife Jude and son Otis meant he took a different direction.
"The very fact that I'm showing it to people makes you realise that it's obviously not working because you're insecure about it."
Artist Dick Frizzell has created a new piece which will feature on Daffodil Day T-shirts. Photo / File
From there he went to his "old fallback position" of the animation and morphing idea. He thought about the yellow beak of Daffy Duck and the yellow trumpet of the daffodil flower and the similar form, and then worked on how to morph the duck into the flower.
"By the time I had that I got pretty excited at this point. You just sit down and draw it until it makes sense and by then I'm sort of in a fever of excitement."
The process takes a couple of days – "one day for the bad idea then one day for the good idea" – and once he has the winning idea, the process is pretty fast.
He works by drawing the image with felt tip, scanning it into Photoshop and adding colour, then sending it to Ben Tan, who works with him in the poster business to vectorise the image.
"I like [this piece] because it's pretty soundly in the tradition of my Mickey to Tiki thing which I've done quite a lot of ... I've miraculously been able to turn it into a bit of a thing I do, a bit of a trick.
"The chance to pull off another one is great. It's a win-win, it's a chance for me to show off and make a bit of money for the charity."
The auction is held by Property Brokers and over the 11 years the Property Brokers Charity Auction has been running it has raised $410,000.
"Having this print from Dick Frizzell this year is really the icing on the cake, and we're hoping there are some Frizzell fans out there who will want to seize the opportunity to own a brand new, and personally signed, Dick Frizzell print," Taylor said.
Taylor said the event raises "vital funds" for the cancer society to continue to provide free support to the one in three New Zealanders currently affected by cancer.
In Hawke's Bay, on average 130 clients a week who are living with cancer are supported and demand for services is increasing as cancer is now the leading cause of death in New Zealand, she said.
The auction will be held at the Toitoi Hawke's Bay Arts and Events Centre on Thursday, May 6 from 6pm.
Anyone who wants to bid on the Frizzell print can email their top bid to justine.fisher@cancercd.org.nz by 1pm Thursday, May 6 to be included in the live auction night.
The Dick Frizzell Daffodil Day T-Shirt will be available to purchase from August 1.
