Tributes paid to painter Basil Blackshaw who died aged 83

Gallery owners, art critics, fellow painters, and muses have paid tribute to painter Basil Blackshaw following his death at the age of 83.

Known for his lack of patience with the trappings of success, Mr Blackshaw rarely gave interviews and shied away from publicity but one person who knew him very well was his model and muse of 30 years, Dr Judith Stephens of Queen’s University, Belfast.

Dr Stephens said that one of the joys of modelling for Mr Blackshaw was watching him at work. “He never kept still. He engaged in a way that was very dynamic; he moved continuously around his canvas, evaluating it from different angles as he worked,” she said.