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Two paintings by a South Shields artist labelled The Geordie Lowry are to go under the hammer in Newcastle next month and are expected to sell for hundreds of pounds.
John Anderson, picture specialist at City Auctioneers Anderson & Garland, said: "Much of Bob Olley's work is inspired by aspects of everyday life in the area and, like Lowry's, is seasoned with a dash of humour."
"These two pictures, however, relate to his pitman days and are highly dramatic and realistic recollections of the scenes he encountered at places like Usworth, Whitburn and Westoe Collieries."
Shields folk know Bob well. He was born in the Town in 1940 and followed the family tradition of going into the pit. But by his late 20's, many of the collieries were closing. He left the industry to work at Plessey's but all the time, he was discovering his talents as an artist.
He made his name with his now-famous print, The Westoe Netty, and he has never looked back.
Mr. Anderson said "The work of pitmen painters has become increasingly collected over recent years and we have sold work by the likes of Durham's Norman Cornish and the late Tom McGuinness for thousands of pounds. "Bob is much more than a pitman painter, however, with the work from his Newcastle Metro Station murals to illustrations from the Tales of Aesop to his credit. "Like Norman & Tom, however, it's possible that his pit scenes will take their place alongside theirs as the most striking images of coal mining and it's unsung hero's ever painted."
●The sale will take place on December 5th, 2006
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