Colin Middleton An Irish artist from my home town

John Hewitt once said: ‘I do not hesitate to describe Colin Middleton as the most various and imaginatively endowed of Irish painters, past or present’. Another important source of opinion on Irish artists said: "Middleton is a talent in search of a style." The 'Dublin Magazine' said of him: "Apart from the brilliance of his paint, he has one rare quality - his inexhaustible capacity for wonder". Whoever is correct, interest in this Irish artist remains constant, long after his death.
I pass his house near the Marina in Bangor County Down most days with its blue "Colin Middleton Lived Here" sign. Personally, I have admired his work for over 40 years since gallery owner Tom Caldwell introduced me to his work. He offered me a number of his works on paper for less than a meal for two and foolishly I turned the offer down. At that age, it seemed a lot…
A poet and musician - as well an important Irish artist - Middleton also produced murals, mosaics and posters. In 1969, he was awarded an MBE and appointed a member Royal Hibernian Academy. A major Irish art retrospective was held in 1976 at The Ulster Museum and the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art in Dublin. He continued to exhibit at the RHA until his death in 1983 in Dublin.