Young Lynn artist auctions work for One Fund

LYNN – Evi Robichaud is only 6 years old but she can tell you the basics about the Boston Marathon bombings and how her vision is going to help make things better.”There was a big bomb at the marathon and it went off,” she said. “Most of the people were really hurt and some died ?I made a painting, ?Boston Strong’ and all the money that it makes we will give to Boston.”Robichaud has been taking art lessons since she was 4. Her mother, Lauren Robichaud, said Evi’s teacher, Brittany Bennett, invited several of her students to create artwork that she would auction off on Facebook in order to raise money for The One Fund.The One Fund was launched by Gov. Duval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino immediately after the bombings to raise money for victims of the bombing. Over $27 million has been donated by individuals and corporations.Evi Robichaud said she looked at some pictures that Bennett had, which showed an American flag, a police officer and a police dog, and it gave her an idea.”The background is an American flag with a policeman’s foot and a police dog,” she said. “I looked at two different pictures and put them together.”The striking nine-inch by 12-inch canvas shows the lower half of a police officer walking a police dog on a leash past a large American flag.Lauren Robichaud said it’s not the first time people have showed an interest in purchasing her daughter’s artwork but it will be Evi Robichaud’s first official sale. When asked how she felt about a potential stranger buying and hanging her painting in their house she laughed.”It’s cool and sort of strange,” she said.Evi Robichaud said she isn’t sure she wants to pursue painting as a career.”I’ll do it until I’m older,” she said. “Probably when I’m 8 I’ll stop.”She has her eye on at least two other careers first.”I want to own a zoo and be a veterinarian and then a painter,” she said.Check out Robichaud’s painting on Facebook and see what the final bid was. The auction closed Monday at 8 p.m. and bidding was up to $140 by late afternoon.Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].