Bid for painting commemorating D-Day 80 showing HMS Queen Elizabeth and a Spitfire flypast and raise money for Help For Heroes

An artist is auctioning his painting of a flypast over Portsmouth, with half the proceeds going to Armed Forces charity Help for Heroes.
Chris Broom
By Chris Broom
Published 27th Feb 2024, 14:59 BST

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Matthew Emeny specialises in maritime and aviation themes and his painting of two Spitfires, flying past HMS Queen Elizabeth as it leaves Portsmouth Dockyard, with a panorama of the city as a backdrop, has been used as the basis for a 1,000-piece jigsaw.

Matthew explained: “I was asked by Gibsons Games to create a scene to use as the design for a special jigsaw puzzle to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings (June 6, 1944), remembering the bravery and sacrifice of all those who took part.

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“It features the Royal Naval aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, leaving Portsmouth, with two Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfires flying overhead. Portsmouth was the headquarters and main departure point for the naval and military units heading for Normandy.”

Artist Matthew Emeny has created a painting to commemorate D-Day 80, showing a pair of Spitfires flying past HMS Queen Elizabeth leaving Portsmouth.He is selling the original in a silent auction to raise money for the armed forces charity, Help For Heroes. It has also been turned into a 1,000-piece puzzle.Artist Matthew Emeny has created a painting to commemorate D-Day 80, showing a pair of Spitfires flying past HMS Queen Elizabeth leaving Portsmouth.He is selling the original in a silent auction to raise money for the armed forces charity, Help For Heroes. It has also been turned into a 1,000-piece puzzle.
Artist Matthew Emeny has created a painting to commemorate D-Day 80, showing a pair of Spitfires flying past HMS Queen Elizabeth leaving Portsmouth.He is selling the original in a silent auction to raise money for the armed forces charity, Help For Heroes. It has also been turned into a 1,000-piece puzzle.

Now, Matthew is hosting a silent auction for the original painting, which closes on midnight tomorrow, with half the sale price donated to Help for Heroes, which supports military veterans.

He added: “With my artwork mainly being of a military nature, it is an honour supporting a charity which looks after our military personnel, individuals who have given so much, and been through so much.”

The painting is 70x50cm and took about 100 hours for Matthew to complete.

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Anybody placing a bid will automatically be entered into a free draw to win a Portsmouth Flypast signed puzzle, and the winner of the puzzle will be selected at random on 1 March.

Artist Matthew Emeny has created a painting to commemorate D-Day 80, showing a pair of Spitfires flying past HMS Queen Elizabeth leaving Portsmouth.He is selling the original in a silent auction to raise money for the armed forces charity, Help For Heroes. It has also been turned into a 1,000-piece puzzle.Artist Matthew Emeny has created a painting to commemorate D-Day 80, showing a pair of Spitfires flying past HMS Queen Elizabeth leaving Portsmouth.He is selling the original in a silent auction to raise money for the armed forces charity, Help For Heroes. It has also been turned into a 1,000-piece puzzle.
Artist Matthew Emeny has created a painting to commemorate D-Day 80, showing a pair of Spitfires flying past HMS Queen Elizabeth leaving Portsmouth.He is selling the original in a silent auction to raise money for the armed forces charity, Help For Heroes. It has also been turned into a 1,000-piece puzzle.

The jigsaw is available to purchase from the Help for Heroes online shop, at a cost of £16, with a donation from each purchase going to the charity.

Help for Heroes champions the Armed Forces community and helps them live well after service. The charity helps them, and their families, to recover and get on with their lives.

The Charity supports veterans, and their families, from any branch of the UK military – regulars or reserves – irrespective of length or place of service, and locally embedded civilians (and their families) who worked alongside our Armed Forces.

To bid in the silent auction go to emenyart.com/portsmouth-flypast-silent-auction.

To buy the puzzle, go to shop.helpforheroes.org.uk.

Related topics:PortsmouthHMS Queen ElizabethBIDArmed ForcesHelp for HeroesSpitfireD-Day 80