AFTER working for 67 years as a cartoonist, you would think Rosalie Cox might want to put her feet up.

But the 80-year-old artist is appealing for more work – and she doesn’t mind not being paid for it.

Since November 2005, Mrs Cox has been happy to donate her drawings to charity.

She also hands over full copyright of her pictures to the organisations she works for so they can turn them into cards or auction them off for cash.

Occassionally she is given private commissions, but she only asks for money to buy paint by way of payment.

Mrs Cox, who lives in Kingham, near Chipping Norton, said: “The recipients can use the painting they have asked for, or have chosen, and can make so much money from just one happy, cuddly humorous, beautiful picture!”

The grandmother-of-two said she wanted the extra work just for “the joy of doing it”.

She said: “I absolutely love it, all I want to do all day is create things and paint, paint, paint.

“The studio is full of them and upstairs is full of them. They are in the loft – everywhere.

“I want people to know that I am here for them – and it doesn’t cost them anything.”

Mrs Cox, who is currently designing a calendar to raise money for the village hall in Shipton-Under-Wychwood, near Witney, wants to help more charities – and is even willing to set up exhibitions of her work to raise money.

She said: “I don’t know how much I have raised for charities, but it is thousands of pounds. And I will continue to do so.”

Mrs Cox, whose husband Raymond died nine years ago, was taught to draw cartoons by a nun at a convent school in Essex.

Her first poster was used for a wartime campaign called Wings for Victory when she was just 13.

Then, at the age of 17, the young artist designed and made her own puppets for a BBC television series called Susie, Sam and Scratch, which ran in the 1940s.

Mrs Cox went on to host a series called TV SKribble where, in just 30 seconds, she would make lightning cartoons out of doodles by schoolchildren.

The show featured on TV in the 1960s and 70s.

Touring all over the country on trains and by motorbike, Mrs Cox was later the star of children’s shows and cabarets at Butlins and Pontins holiday camps. She also did shows for Walt Disney in London.

She said: “I have had a wonderful life and I wish to carry on my gift to bring smiles, happiness and amusement to all. I love my work more each day.”

To find out more, call 01608 659160.