YORK artist Amie Antoniak has taken up her brush in support of the York City Knights.

Not only is she sponsoring the Rugby League club to the tune of £300, but she has donated a painting, Spirit Of The Knights, for a sealed-bid auction that will run for a week from today to raise money for the Knights.

“I’ve painted it in the club colours, based on their logo, with the team colours of blue and white and I’ve put silver in there for the knight,” says Amie.

“It’s big, 90 centimetres by 90, and it’s an abstract piece that incorporates the logo and fireworks, as I was thinking how it’s a powerful contact sport, explosive and full of passion from the players, with all those collisions going on.”

As part of her sponsorship, the website address of Amie’s gallery in Goodramgate, Artfulness, is emblazoned on the Knights’ training tops ahead of a new season that opens on February 8 with a cup tie against Whitehaven at the Huntington Stadium.

“It’s been great for me seeing my website details on the back of these tops. I just hope there are a lot of art-loving Rugby League fans in York,” says Amie.

Her sponsorship deal came about through her connection with the Knights’ commercial manager, Simon Moat.

“Simon buys art from Artfulness and has commissioned quite a lot of pieces before, and as he plays a big part in the fundraising for the Knights, he was looking at more unusual ways to attract sponsorship and so he approached me,” says Amie.

“Art and Rugby League don’t usually go together, but I’ve managed to make the painting pretty because of the materials I’ve used, with a lot of silver spray paint and glittery beads, as it has to appeal to the players’ wives and girlfriends too – and the picture has to be something that I normally do as I have to be true to myself.”

Amie admits she has never seen the York Knights play. “But as part of the deal I’m supposed to be getting a season ticket, so I might go or give it someone who just might appreciate it more,” she says.