Dick's forgotten paintings take centre stage

Dick Scott, one of our recent adult inpatients, has had a long-held wish fulfilled: thirteen watercolour paintings he created over a decade ago, forgotten until recently, are now set to be publicly exhibited for the first time at Bishop Auckland’s new Artists’ Hub.

The paintings were inspired by Francisco de Zurbarán’s 17th-century portrait masterpieces, Jacob and his Twelve Sons, which were saved in 2012 by Jonathan and Jane Ruffer.

Dick first tried painting in 2000 during his recovery from a liver transplant. In 2012, after reading about the artworks being saved and the creation of what is now The Auckland Project, he was inspired to emulate Zurbarán’s series.

In 2012, when the Church Commissioners for England planned to sell the paintings, a community campaign raised awareness of their possible loss. Jonathan and Jane Ruffer then saved the collection, placing the paintings and Auckland Palace in a charitable trust for the benefit of the people of North East England and to help regenerate Bishop Auckland through art, culture, and heritage.

Dick, who recently received palliative care at St Oswald’s Hospice, kept his watercolours tucked away in his Longbenton bungalow until their discovery by chance during a conversation between social worker Marisa Woodward and his sister Sue Coxon.

After discovering the paintings, Marisa contacted The Auckland Project for advice on how to display them. She was surprised to promptly hear from Chief Operating Officer Richard Hinch.

“Richard told us he loved the paintings and wanted them for the first exhibition in the new Artists’ Hub in Bishop Auckland town centre. He also invited Dick to officially open the Hub at a VIP event. When I told Dick, he was overwhelmed with emotion—he never thought anyone would see them,” sue explained.

Dick, from Longbenton, and a former Furnace Refractor, said: “I’m not a religious man, but there was something about those paintings that really moved me.