Artist creates Rotherham Advertiser Christmas card — now we need you to nominate the charity which will benefit

ARTIST Les Black keeps a record of every painting he has done since 1963 — all 3,028 of them. And the Advertiser has teamed up with the 87-year-old to use one of his creations as our 2019 Christmas card.
Les puts the finishing touches to our Christmas cardLes puts the finishing touches to our Christmas card
Les puts the finishing touches to our Christmas card

ARTIST Les Black keeps a record of every painting he has done since 1963 — all 3,028 of them.

And the Advertiser has teamed up with the 87-year-old to use one of his creations as our 2019 Christmas card.

Now we would like readers to suggest which charity the money raised should go towards after the festive season.

“I think it’s a brilliant idea,” said ex-Royal Signaller Les.

“We are definitely singing from the same hymn sheet here and I hope we can raise lots of money for a good cause.”

Our card design features painting number 1,415 by Les — called All Saints by Moonlight (below). 

His record book shows it was completed on September 9, 1995, on paper bought from a shop in Sheffield.

It had even spent time in his ready for the rubbish folder — until Les added a few more touches and was happy with it.

“I have a record of what happened to every painting,” he said. 

“Some have gone into the bin because I wasn’t happy with them.

“But each one has what I call its DNA, which stands for detailed notes by the artist.”

Les, of Wickersley, plans to call his book My Life’s Journey Into Obscurity — A Short History of Black Painting.

Another painting which means a great deal to Les is Night Duty, which he painted during wife Audrey’s battle with cancer.

It was based on her non-celebratory reaction to some initially good news after chemotherapy.

The cancer later returned and Audrey died on 6/6/06, aged 71.

“I reached for the paints and created the scene of a darkened room with a nurse tending to a patient,” said Les.

“I wonder if she knew that day that the cancer would return.

“Losing Audrey was the most painful thing in my life.

“Every one of my paintings has got a story, which is why I decided to write my life story.

“I’ve not climbed any mountains in my life but Ive had some very nice fun on the lower slopes.”

Which good cause should benefit from the Christmas card? Email [email protected].