MIAMI, Fla. (WFLA) — Legendary rock icon Ozzy Osbourne spent some of the final weeks of his life collaborating with a group of artistic chimpanzees at a Florida sanctuary.
Osbourne, who said he often painted simply for his own pleasure and peace of mind, crafted multi-colored basecoats on five canvases. The ape artists at Save the Chimp’s sanctuary in Fort Pierce were then given free rein to add their own touches with their brushstrokes.
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The result was five abstract works of art, each named after one of Osbourne’s songs or albums. The originals sold for a total of $75,000 in an auction that launched only a week before Osbourne passed away on July 22.
His Facebook post promoting the collection was one of his very last. In it, Osbourne wrote that he didn’t normally sell his paintings, but that this was a special case.
The proceeds went to Save the Chimps, which rescues chimpanzees from labs, roadside zoos and wildlife traffickers. It’s one of the largest privately funded chimpanzee sanctuaries in the world at 150 acres…