Addisons of Barnard Castle is offering seven works by Mackenzie Thorpe - the internationally acclaimed artist famous for his paintings of square sheep and portrayals of working life in the North East of England - in its Winter Catalogue Sale taking place on Saturday 3 December at 11.00am.
The artist utilises a range of styles from the instantly recognisable 'square sheep' to the stark industrial landscapes of the artist's childhood
Today, Mackenzie Thorpe's paintings, prints and sculpture appear in galleries worldwide and his original works sell out instantly. Many of his images also appear as fine-art prints and cards, including those for Elton John's AIDS Foundation.
 Valuer David Elstobb with Mackenzie Thorpe's works |
One of his paintings was chosen by Foreign Secretary William Hague for his own personal Christmas card.
Born in Middlesbrough in 1956, Mackenzie Thorpe had an unusual start to his career. He left school at fifteen without any qualifications on account of his dyslexia and took a manual job at the local shipyards.
He had always loved drawing and eventually he submitted some of these sketches to the local art college in Middlesbrough who recognised his obvious talent and offered him a place. From there he transferred to the Byam Shaw School in London and his journey to becoming a best-selling artist began.
"We are very privileged to be able to offer such a large number of Mackenzie Thorpe's paintings for sale," said David Elstob, Auctioneer and Valuer at Addisons. "His work is currently amongst the most sought after in the UK and his reputation as an artist continues to grow worldwide on an unprecedented scale.
 One of Mackenzie Thorpe's square sheep in its full glory |
"Four of the works were purchased by one of the vendors directly from the artist and a painting from the early part of his career even comes with its own personal history. Evidently after a rejection from his bank manager, Mackenzie came home and vented his frustrations by painting a sheep in a landscape.
The resulting 'Self with Pride' is one of the works in the sale. It is ironic that it now carries a guide price of £3,500 - £4,500 proving just how bankable an artist he now is!"
Also in the sale are two other paintings of sheep, a bull, a self-portrait of a small boy holding a bird, a baby in an enormous red pram and a brooding portrayal of a northern shipyard.
