Amateur artist 'overwhelmed with pride' as Rob Burrow tribute goes on display at Leeds MND centre
An amateur artist has told of his unexplainable “sense of pride” - as his portrait of Leeds Rhinos legends Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield is unveiled at the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease.
Phil Hollinworth, a retired road worker from Ackworth, created the painting last November after being inspired by the pair’s enormous work to raise money and awareness for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
The black and white portrait depicts Burrow hugging his friend and teammate Sinfield at the 2020 testimonial match, held less than one month after Burrow was diagnosed with MND.
It’s a moment that Phil believes best “captures the friendship” between the two sportsmen.
Last Wednesday, Phil, alongside his wife Ang, was invited to see the donated portrait at the Rob Burrow Centre for MND in person, which opened last year.
Greeted by the “amazing staff” at the centre, the 56-year-old said he felt “tearful” as he saw it hanging on the wall.
“There was a sense of pride that you can’t explain,” Phil told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“As you walk through the door, it’s the first thing you see, and it was absolutely overwhelming.”
Phil had been interested in art since high school but he felt his hobby was a “silly thing” which would never lead to a job.
However, Phil returned to his passion later in life as he started attending his local art group.
Since then, he has created several pieces to honour the legacy of Burrow, including a mural which now stands at Featherstone Lions, the club where Burrow began his career.
Phil’s latest portrait was made out of two tins of DIY paint and took ten hours to complete.
Initially, Phil donated the painting to Burrow’s parents Geoff and Irene and he said it was a “wonderful feeling” to hand the portrait over.
Phil said: “Irene said it was the best painting of Rob she’d ever seen and you can’t get better than that.”
“I don’t make any money out of this but when someone says that to you, it’s worth more than money.”
It was Geoff who suggested the best place for the portrait was the Rob Burrow Centre for MND, and earlier this month the painting took its place at the centre’s entrance.
For Phil, the portrait of Burrow and Sinfield was “one of the hardest” paintings he has ever made, due to the challenges of dimensions and fitting two figures onto one canvas.
However, he hopes that it will have a “calming” effect on all who walk into the centre.
Phil said: “One of the doctors said it can be therapeutic for people coming in. People can look at it and get a bit of calmness and niceness.
“So it’s not just a painting on a wall. People can look at it and feel inspired.”