A HEARTBROKEN artist who lost his wife to dementia is parting with his life’s work to help the fight against the disease.
Wilson Smith, 78, is selling his entire collection of paintings to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
He lost his beloved wife Jean to the illness three years ago, and found comfort in his painting.
Now Wilson, of West Woodburn, near Hexham, Northumberland, has a collection of over 60 pieces, mainly in oil, from landscapes and portraits to large abstract canvasses and a series of copies of Toulouse-Lautrec’s work.
Determined to raise desperately-needed funds for research into the disease, the grandfather-of-one has decided to part with the fruits of years of labour. Every single one of his paintings will be put up for sale in an exhibition, Painting for Alzheimer’s, at Bellingham Town Hall this month.
Wilson said: “Watching Jean slip away with Alzheimer’s was one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced. I felt helpless as Jean was gradually robbed of her precious memories and independence. Towards the end she couldn’t walk or talk and finally she couldn’t eat or drink – there was no way out.
“The sale of my paintings is dedicated to all those people who are living with this devastating disease. Every penny raised through the sale will go to Alzheimer’s Research UK to help them progress with their pioneering research.
“Words can’t describe how much I want to see new treatments and a cure for this disease.”
Originally from Essex, Wilson first took up painting as a boy, painting murals at his primary school in Epping. His talent as an artist was first noticed when he was just 11 years old and he was presented by the school to the Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, in 1943.
As well as working as a designer for the advertising industry, Wilson has produced all manner of paintings during his career – but found a new lease of creativity following Jean’s illness.
He says he will carry on painting and raising money for the charity. More than 4,000 people in Northumberland live with dementia today, with numbers forecast to increase in the next generation.
Miranda Mays, community fundraising manager for Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Every £20 raised through the sale of Wilson’s paintings will pay for another vital hour of research, bringing us closer to finding ways to diagnose, prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Painting for Alzheimer’s takes place from 9am-5pm on August 29 and 30.
