Kentish Express Ashford & District
Teen wildlife artist is hoping success is on the cards
A sixth former is hoping his pack of cards art project will be played around the world after launching a crowd funding campaign.
Ben Sinclair, 17, who goes to Norton Knatchbull School, Ashford, has designed and illustrated a pack of animal playing cards.
The drawings are based on the Gaia hypothesis, a theory by James Lovelock, which holds that all animals in their environments keep the earth stable.
In the first five days, the project on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter had already been pledged nearly $5000 in sponsorship from teachers, friends and strangers around the world.
Ben said: “It was mainly a personal project.
“I was inspired by an illustrator called Wylie Beckert who illustrated a deck of cards – completely custom made. I’ve always had an interest in drawing animals and wildlife.”
Each suit is a different biome environment of the world – rainforest, savanna, alpine and tundra.
The Year 12 pupil is working with Matt Preuss from Forge Arts, a company which teams up with artists to create their own packs of cards.
The goal is to raise $12,000 to manufacture the cards in the USA to distribute around the world. If successful this is expected to be complete by September.
Head of art at Norton Knatchbull, Sandie Rowland, said: “Ben is an amazing artist. He becomes completely engrossed in everything he is doing.
“We just said he had to get this made and make it a reality.”
Ben was awarded a scholarship by the Royal Society of British Artists last year for his oil painting of an elephant. The scholarship allows him to compete in competitions and exhibitions.
He also hopes to study art at Oxford or University College London.
Ben said: “It’s really exciting. The more support we get, the more chance it has to become a reality.”
The Kickstarter campaign ends on Friday, June 16. You can either buy a pack or pledge to the cause.
To sponsor Ben’s work, visit RarePlayingCards.com/Gaia
‘Ben is an amazing artist. He becomes completely engrossed in everything he is doing’