Retired doctor turned artist from Kirkby Malzeard exhibits portraits depicting characters from novels in aid of retinoblastoma cancer charity

Dr Mike Harford-Cross trained at London Art Academy upon his retirement to pursue his lifelong love of painting and has opened his exhibition in Harrogate, at Clarendon Fine Art in line with Harrogate Crime Writers Festival.

The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust is close to the artist as a charity dedicated to those affected by retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer which his granddaughter contracted at the age of two.

Mr Harford-Cross said: “My granddaughter, who is now 14 and a brilliant artist, actually lost her eye due to retinoblastoma cancer when she was just two.

“It’s a charity that’s really close to my heart, especially as she is going into the arts herself.

“I was fortunate to have a number of excellent commissions including a Supreme Court judge, Sonita Alleyne, Sir Mark Elder and locally Terry Bramall amongst others, the last being the first secretary at the Lebanese Embassy.

“At the same time I made a series of paintings illustrating characters from the novels of crime writer Ross Macdonald.

“I held a one man show of these in London which was well received.”

Clarendon Fine Art agreed to host the exhibition, which coincides with Harrogate’s Crime Writers Festival which takes place from Thursday, July 20 to Sunday, July 23.

He said: “Whilst my paintings have been popular elsewhere and are on people’s walls in twenty-three countries it has been difficult to generate interest locally.

“I did a series of paintings to illustrate a scene from one of his novels.

“I had been a GP from 1977-2010 when I went to London to train at the Arts Academy where I found eight years of portrait commissions. I was very lucky.”

The paintings depict characters from the novels which feature some strong female characters.

“Ross Mcdonald himself was a great protagonist of feminist rights in the 1960s, his strongest characters are most often women.”

Another notable commission Mr Harford-Cross received was from “the vibrant Sonita Alleyne”, who was the first woman of colour to become Master of an Oxbridge college.

“I also did a series of interesting young women doing controversial jobs, which was wonderful to do,” he said.

“I was lucky that these commissions found me. I believe they have to find you and when you find an idea you just run with it.

“I have many young colleagues that do art as a living which I have much respect for.

“I have enormous admiration for them, especially those that don’t have that safety net, it’s a hard life to live.”

The exhibition, titled “The Wanderer of the Night” is a celebration of novels by Ross Mcdonald which runs until Sunday, July 23, open from 10am until 5pm.

For more information on the exhibition including private viewing, contact: [email protected]