Born in Spennymoor on 18 November 1919, he worked at Dean & Chapter Colliery for 33 years from the age of 14.
Famous around the world for his depictions of work and life on the Durham coalfield, he was the last surviving artist of the Pitman's Academy at The Spennymoor Settlement, established to give mining communities access to the arts.
He continued to paint until his death at the age of 94 in August 2014.
