A TALENTED artist received a shock when he stumbled upon some long-lost paintings that he created more than 40 years ago.

Nigel Davis, 67, from Brighton, was commissioned to paint 13 Tudor gentry paintings for Brighton’s old Derek Carver pub back in 1975.

The creations, which featured the likes of Queen Elizabeth, were used in the Black Lion Street watering hole before it was refurbished some years later and became the Black Lion.

The years passed and Mr Davis put the creations to the back of his mind. That was until he paid a visit to the Shakespeare’s Head pub in Chatham Place, Brighton, to see popular Tom Waits tribute band, The Town Waites, earlier this month.

During the gig he glanced across the darkened pub and caught sight of one of the paintings before discovering the rest of them scattered around the building.

Mr Davis said: “The landlord, Dan, seemed as surprised to meet the artist as I was to rediscover them after all these years. I had no idea they were even there.”

Leanne Creame, manager of the Shakespeare’s Head, said punters often took an interest in the paintings but staff never knew who the artist was – until now.

She said: “They’ve been here for as long as I can remember, maybe 15 years or so.

“Customers always ask who painted them or the names of the people featured in them, but we’ve never known until we met Nigel the other night. It’s been really interesting.”

quotes

“I was blown away and showed my friends who couldn’t believe it either.

“The singer of the band got wind of what happened and told the crowd about it during the gig.

“I was really overwhelmed and couldn’t believe I’d painted them actually, I’m still really proud of them.

“I remember painting them all the way back in 1975 but when I sold them off I never thought I’d see them again. I certainly hadn’t seen them since.”

Nigel Davis, artist