A BOURNEMOUTH artist has helped raise almost £100,000 for charity, with her unique mosaic creatures.

Natalie Guy created a penguin named The Emperor and an aqua mosaic called Ferne, with braille ears - both based on characters from the Wallace and Gromit animations - as part of the Gromit Unleashed 2 trail around the centre of Bristol.

The works were then auctioned off for The Grand Appeal, in aid of Bristol Children's Hospital, with The Emperor selling for £38,000 and Ferne selling for £26,000. Combined with a sculpture named May Contain Nuts, which Natalie created for the first Gromit Unleashed trail and which sold for £30,000, the artist has made almost £100,000 for the cause.

Natalie, said she was "one very happy mosaicist", adding: "I wasn't unable to attend, however a friend watched the online streaming of the auction and kept my updates by text."

Natalie worked in conjunction with Dorset Blind Association on the Ferne sculpture, which was inspired by botanical flora and ferns; covered in aqua mosaic pieces and also feature bespoke Braille messages under its ears.

She said: "I was honoured and thankful to Jo and all at Dorset Blind Association for their help and guidance to realise being able to incorporate Braille into the design onto Gromit’s ears.

“I wanted to have a special element for those whom have a visual impairment or whom are blind and can read Braille, as sometimes they can be excluded from enjoying art."

Natalie's creations have raised more than £200,000 for charities since 2008.