Rescued cow inspires painting by Abbotsford woman using art to raise money for flood relief

The devastation from the recent floods in Abbotsford inspired one Sumas Mountain resident to use her artistic skills for a good cause.

Shaina Conn lives above the flood-stricken Sumas Prairie and was touched by a photo circulating online of a man who rescued cows in his boat.

"I saw the little cow's face and I just felt the need to create some art with it," she told CTV News Vancouver. "That's always something that I've turned to in my life when I feel strong feelings about things."

Conn put her paintbrush to paper and created a portrait of one of the cows on the boat. She wasn't sure what she would do with it at first but eventually decided to put it up for auction on the Abbotsford bidding wars Facebook group.

"I thought it might get $20," she said. "But people just started bidding and it just kept going higher and higher and it was amazing to see that."

The painting sold for $410 and now she plans to sell prints of it for $15 each. All of the proceeds will go towards disaster relief efforts through the Abbotsford Community Foundation.

Conn said she's overwhelmed by all the support she's received from her painting and so far she's raised more than $1,500.

"I had somebody in Mission offer to sell some of the prints at her art gallery," she said.

"It's just incredible to see where this painting went, I wasn't expecting any of this but I was hoping to do something with it that was going to contribute to the farmers and the devastation."

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Mary Cranston.