An artist has donated a picture worth £1,500 to help raise money for a charity which helps rescue people at sea.

Renowned Scottish artist Jan Nelson has donated a painting to be raffled in order to raise money for Weymouth RNLI Lifeboat Station.

This year, the lifeboat station is celebrating 150 years in the town.

Raffle tickets cost £1 and can be purchased from the Cove Gallery at 9 Trinity Street, where the painting can be seen on display in the window.

Jan Nelson has been a sailor for over twenty years and has a close affinity with the RNLI.

She said: “When you are out sailing it is so reassuring to know that they are always there to help you if you need it.”

Jan loves Weymouth and is a regular visitor to the town.

She added: “Weymouth was the first port that I ever sailed into and I thought that it was a wonderful place.”

The donated painting is titled ‘Uphaullya’ which is a Viking word representing Jan’s Viking heritage and also a play of words on Up Haul which is part of the rigging for the Spinnaker sail which is so dominant in the painting.

In addition to the first prize of the original painting, Jan has generously donated six Limited Edition Giclée Prints worth £300 each.

Paul Mooney, owner of the Cove Gallery said: “To celebrate the Weymouth Lifeboat’s 150th Anniversary, Cove Gallery in association with artist Jan Nelson and the RNLI, is holding a Charity Raffle of an original Jan Nelson painting.

“All proceeds from the raffle will go to the RNLI.”

Jan is a mainly self-taught artist, apart from three years’ study with the Open College of the Arts and has been painting for over 25 years.

She works full time from her studio in the lovely East Neuk of Fife and with the sea nearby her painting can be combined with her other great love of sailing. She makes regular trips around the coast of Britain and particularly to the West Coast of Scotland both for sailing and to observe the changing scenery and find new ideas for her work.

Raffle tickets can also be bought form the lifeboat station RNLI shop which is open from 10.30am to 4.30pm every day.