Death and taxes

So last night I started thinking about someone I knew from my childhood. He was an artist and owned 2 houses near to my parents. One was where he actually lived and the other one was where he stored his paintings (and I think painted). I got to know him quite well over the years and for quite a long time I would go round to his house once a week and either draw stuff or take things I had drawn, painted etc. For all I know he may have been bored out of his mind but he was a really interesting chap, very politically motivated and someone who was great to have debates with. After i went off to university I didn't really see him so much other than to walk past the house when I was up seeing my parents and wave :-D

This is a detail of one of his paintings in a book he gave me after an exhibition of his I went to in Skem. I recall I had a glass of wine , I was only 13 and it was a school night...at the time that felt very grown up. Lots of his stuff wasn't in this exact style and I am guessing this is an older political piece. He knew Lowry and one day he told me he was expecting a visit from Van Gough's nephew....and the thing is...he really was....what a shame I was too young to appreciate the significance of this and hang around for a nosy a bit more....

After he died there was an art theft at the house a couple of months or so later. I was living back in the village then. I came back from Tesco really late one night yes I used to be one of those people who shops in the early hours of the morning and the alarm was going. Some men where literally throwing paintings into the back of a van. I was literally beating my parents door so I could call the police who turned up pretty quick. From what I was told at the time they had made off with some paintings propped up against the door which were not that great (which was why they were positioned there). I'm not sure what happened to his great paintings...whether they got sold, are in storage or have been bought by private collectors. I grew up with these images....but it is only now 30 years later I realise I really miss seeing them and him. In hindsight there is just so much more I could have asked him....but thinking about it I probably did far too much talking and not enough listening....

I found a link to some of his work- sadly not too many of the bright and abstract figures I used to love but nonetheless interesting :-)