A PEMBROKESHIRE artist is hoping to raise funds for families fleeing war-torn Syria with the sale of two of her paintings.

Susan Sands, who has her work on show at The Late November Gallery in Haverfordwest, will use any profit made to give to Narberth refugee support group Croeso Arberth.

The project started last year when the life drawing group Susan attends in Whitland got a model to kneel by some cardboard boxes as if he was escaping rubble following an explosion.

“I showed the model various photographs of the bombing of Aleppo so that he could get into it,” said the artist.

“He threw himself into the poses and I think some people in the class were quite moved by what we were doing.”

Susan, who is based in West Williamston, draws comparisons between the refugees in the Syrian conflict and those during WWII.

“I do feel strongly about the issue because my mother-in-law was a refugee from the Japanese and came out on one of the last boats from Malaysia as the Japanese poured in,” she said.

“She arrived in Australia with very little money and very few contacts and made her way up to Melbourne.

“She met a complete stranger on the train who said, ‘You must go and stay with my mother’. It was an amazing piece of human kindness.

“She found a job and found her feet and existed there for the rest of the war until it was safe to come home.”

Since the Syrian Civil War started in 2011, over 4.9 million people have fled the country.

Aleppo has been the worst-hit city in the country, but Susan has fond memories of visiting the country’s second city before the war.

“I went there when I was on a cruise and went to the market.

“We were offered tea and seats and the other customers came and talked to us all of whom were Syrian.

“They were just so charming and we had this wonderful tea party in the shop. I was so impressed with them as a people.

“I can’t think they would do anything but enrich our country.”

Both Susan’s paintings are currently on show at The Late November Gallery in Haverfordwest.

The gallery is open Monday to Saturday between 11am and 2pm. Private viewings are available. Call 07786 213790.