Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, has teamed up with rescued chimpanzees from the Save the Chimps sanctuary to create unique abstract expressionist paintings. The goal? To raise funds for the care of these amazing apes. Ozzy starts each painting with base colors and then lets the chimps add their own wild strokes to the canvas.
“I paint because it gives me peace of mind, but I don’t sell my paintings,” Ozzy said. “I’ve made an exception with these collaborations as it raises money for Save the Chimps.” The sanctuary is home to hundreds of apes who have been rescued from tough situations.
Bidding for the artwork began on July 10, starting at £1,000 ($1,350) per piece. The 20-by-20-inch paintings are named after some of Ozzy’s classic songs, including “Technical Ecstasy,” “Electric Funeral,” “Blizzard of Ozz,” “Tattooed Dancer,” and “Paranoid.” The talented chimps—Kramer, Sable, Sophie, and Janice—added their creative touch to Ozzy’s colorful backgrounds. They live among 220 other chimps at the 150-acre sanctuary in Fort Pierce, Florida.
“Painting is just one of many enrichment activities we offer our residents,” said Dan Mathews, the events director at Save the Chimps. “Some really enjoy it, while others prefer food puzzles or picture books.”
This artistic project comes after Ozzy’s final Black Sabbath show on July 5 in Birmingham, England, which raised nearly $200 million for charities like Cure Parkinson’s and Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Many stars support Save the Chimps, including Jane Goodall and Paul McCartney. Art lovers can get involved, and FedEx is helping by moving the artwork for free.
