Sadly, a friend of many in Norfolk and an acquaintance of mine has died of cancer. Grandfather-of-two Lewis Davies, who died last Monday after a short battle with cancer, leaves behind a formidable body of work, including 52 large paintings depicting scenes from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. He would present the work locally as a slide-show and poetry recital.
Hilary, his wife, a stained glass artist, said: “He got really fanatical about his work. Once he got a bee in his bonnet about it, he would work on a project for ages. He was inspired by the Ancient Mariner because it was full of imagery and every verse he could illustrate.”
After retiring to Cromer, in Norfolk with his wife seven years ago, Lewis continued painting and was inspired the countryside and churches and exhibited in various galleries. Hilary says their home is still filled with stacks of paintings including works in progress, and though Lewis reluctantly sold one of the Ancient Mariner paintings, she still has the remaining 51.
