Graham Wilson received the first of several surprises he can expect in the next few days when he came face-to-face with himself at a Shellharbour art studio on Friday.
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Since agreeing to let the Wollongong community and members of the entertainment industry throw a fund-raising dinner to help him in his fight with brain cancer, Wilson has known a musically inspired artwork was being produced as a major auction item.
What he and other organisers such as Scott Radburn and Rikki Organ did not know was that it was an abstract piece that included a portrait of him.
After Andrew Harrison and George Harrison offered to host an event at the Lagoon Restaurant to help Wilson cover his ongoing medical expenses he visited a studio in Warilla to contribute input into what he knew was a major artwork by Shellharbour artist Natalija Vocanec.
He was also asked to place his hand print in the work and contribute a manuscript with some of his own handwritten music.
So for the very first time he wrote out the music for his song Wollongong - Close to Heaven which has been incorporated into various parts of the painting including his shirt sleeves and collar.
There are also guitars, a cricket bat and Wollongong, Sydney and Las Vegas scenes to depict some of his great loves which are music, sport, performing in many major vanues and the city he calls home.
But little did he know he was the centrepiece of the feature and that what he thought was going to be an abstract piece was in fact a portrait with a difference.
What Ms Vocanec has produced is an innovative one-of-a-kind artpiece which she hopes will raise considerable money for Wilson’s ongoing medical treatment.
‘‘Getting to know him has really touched my heart and I wanted to do something special for this beautiful man who is so loved by so many in the Wollongong community and by Four Kinsmen fans around Australia and the world,’’ she said.
Ms Vocanec also visited the hospital to interview him about his life.
The whole process has been a wonderful example of art being used as therapy in a way the Shellharbour artist has done with many of her students at Little Leonardo’s Art Studio at Warilla, local schools and soon-to-open art studio in Wollongong.
Wilson did such a great job at his first attempt at painting on another recent visit to her studio that he is keen to do some of her adult art classes at The Lagoon.
And he has offered to teach her the guitar.
But what the two talented people have created most during his hospital stay after brain surgery in April is many smiles that have proved to be powerful medicine.
Radburn said it was beautiful to see so many people doing so many wonderful things for his long-time mate and fellow Kinsman.
And he was looking forward to all four members of the group getting back together on Tuesday night in front of full house of almost 600 people.
