'Rubbish' Pet Portraits Raise Over £50k For Homeless

This may have started off as a joke, but Hercule Van Wolfwinkle's "rubbish" pet portraits are being sold like hotcakes and have raised over £50k for a homeless charity. Also, we want one too.

As BBC News reports, Phil Heckels, from Worthing, West Sussex, started working until the alias Hercule Van Wolfwinkle in 2020. Jokingly, he drew his his dog and put it on Facebook, offering paid-for commissions. He was just as surprised as anyone when genuine requests started coming in. Not only that, but his drawings have gotten really popular, and as pet owners ourselves, we can totally see why. Because the volume of requests was so big, it essentially became a lottery where Wolfwinkle decides who he draws and who he doesn't.

In addition to the drawings, Wolfwinkle writes accompanying fake profiles for each pet as well as reviews from the 'customers' - also written by Wolfwinkle. Additional merchandise, such as tea towels and calendars, has also been created.

Initially, the drawings were marketed at the joke price of £299. Later on, that became Wolfwinkle's original fundraising target. Now, "he has ambitions to reach £75,000, and has publicly vowed to get his first tattoo - his signature on his buttocks - on reaching that goal."

Wolfwinkle told BBC: "This whole thing is absolutely brilliant. To be honest it still doesn't feel real. I remember being sat on the sofa with my wife, laughing that we would never reach £299, and now we're here. I'd love to do this forever, it's just working out how we keep it going because I've basically created a second full-time job for myself. The money and publicity for Turning Tides has been phenomenal."

Turning Tides is the homeless organization to which Wolfwinkle has been giving all the raised money, and Wolfwinkle said he was "overwhelmed" by the amount raised for them. Sometime in May, a book with some of Wolfwinkle's work will be published, with part of the profits being donated to Turning Tides as well.

There are no direct payments for the portraits. Anyone can donate to the cause to Wolfwinkle's JustGiving page, sending him a picture to draw. People wanted to send Wolfwinkle money, but he told BCC previously that he didn't want to take the money because "the pictures are rubbish." Check out some of his drawings below, and for more fun, poorly drawn animals, click right here!

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via HERCULE VAN WOLFWINKLE
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"A fake pet profile for this dog says: "Timothy likes skidding about in the mud, playing pranks on the neighbour’s cat and listening to Tunisian Gangster Rap.""

via HERCULE VAN WOLFWINKLE
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"The Hercule Facebook page said: "I don’t know what she’s called, but I’ve named her Claudia Sniffer.""

via HERCULE VAN WOLFWINKLE
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"One 'reviewer' on the site said: "There are so many things I want to scream at you and none of them are good.""

via HERCULE VAN WOLFWINKLE
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"Hercule: "I was asked to draw this olden day black and white picture in colour. Of course, not a problem at all.""

via HERCULE VAN WOLFWINKLE
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"Fake pet profile: "Pauline Porche likes the finer things in life like Waitrose, walks across the golf course and Nescafé Azera.""

via HERCULE VAN WOLFWINKLE
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"Fake customer review: "It looks like a dot-to-dot picture that’s been drawn by someone who can’t count. Or hold a pencil properly.""

via HERCULE VAN WOLFWINKLE

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'Rubbish' Pet Portraits Raise Over £50k For Homeless

"A fake pet profile for this dog says: "Timothy likes skidding about in the mud, playing pranks on the neighbour’s cat and listening to Tunisian Gangster Rap.""

"The Hercule Facebook page said: "I don’t know what she’s called, but I’ve named her Claudia Sniffer.""

"One 'reviewer' on the site said: "There are so many things I want to scream at you and none of them are good.""

"Hercule: "I was asked to draw this olden day black and white picture in colour. Of course, not a problem at all.""

"Fake pet profile: "Pauline Porche likes the finer things in life like Waitrose, walks across the golf course and Nescafé Azera.""

"Fake customer review: "It looks like a dot-to-dot picture that’s been drawn by someone who can’t count. Or hold a pencil properly.""

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