Introducing the amazing winners of our Christmas card design competition 

Glaucoma UK is delighted to announce the two winners of our very first Christmas card design competition, launched to celebrate our 50th anniversary. Both designs have been made into limited-edition Christmas cards, available to purchase to help raise funds for Glaucoma UK. Read on to discover the stories behind these winning designs.

‘Christmas Scene’ by Sue Angliss:  

I knew nothing much about glaucoma until a couple of friends were recently diagnosed with the condition. I wanted to find out more about it and was led to your website and the Christmas card competition. My card design is inspired by visits to beautiful Derbyshire, especially in the wintertime when there is often lots of snow. 

I started painting after inheriting my dear Aunt’s old paint box. During lockdown I tried a little watercolour painting and afterwards decided to take classes at my local art centre where we mostly paint in acrylics and oil. I find it a brilliant way to de-stress and a great way to meet new people. 

‘Pickles the Fox’ by Pam Griffiths:
I came across the gorgeous photo titled Fox in the Snow while flicking through a book called “Countryfile, A picture of Britain” at a friend’s house. The image immediately captured my attention—there was something both wild and serene about the fox, surrounded by a blanket of white snow, her gaze calm yet alert. 

Curious to know more, I contacted the photographer, Matt Binstead. To my delight, I discovered that Matt is not only a talented wildlife photographer, but also the Head Keeper at the British Wildlife Centre in Lingfield, Surrey. The beautiful fox in the photograph was named Pickles, a resident of the centre. Matt kindly gave me permission to paint her portrait, and I felt honoured to be able to translate her image into a different medium. 

Pickles lived at the centre until 2011 when she sadly passed away she was well-loved by the staff and visitors, Pickles had a knack of being in the right place when food was being handed out during visitor talks.

In all honesty my painting of Pickles nearly ended up in the bin, I just could not get her eyes quite right and it took me a couple of attempts and a few days of leaving the painting to produce something I was happy with.

My grandad had glaucoma, but I actually found out about the competition through my tutor, who encouraged me to enter. I was really surprised when I got the call to say I had won. I first started painting during the pandemic, after my Mum passed away. I had to stay at home because I have multiple sclerosis, and at the time I was going through a lot of difficult things. I started receiving requests for my art, so inspired by my Mum I chose the name Aura Artist; my niece couldn’t say Nanny Vera, so my Mum always went by Nanny Aura.

Painting became a form of mindfulness for me, it wasn’t so much about creating perfect art at first, but more about the feeling and the process. It really helped me cope. I would recommend everyone to give it a try.