THE paintings of a man whose passion was the Monmouthshire countryside are to be sold in aid of Bridges Centre in Monmouth.

Richard Ash, who was a long-standing member of the Wye Valley Art Society, had a love of painting, particularly in watercolours and later in oils. Much of his work, which was passed down to his family after he died in 2006 at the age of 96, is now to go on sale to raise money for Bridges, where he enjoyed visits in later life.

Richard Ash was born in Aberystwyth. When he was young, the family moved to Monmouth, and he went to school at the Bishop of Hereford’s Bluecoat School.

In 1939 he joined the army in the Reconnaissance Regiment and fought in the North Africa Campaign. He was captured by the Italians in 1943, and imprisoned, initially, in Italy. Here he developed a keen interest in sketching and painting, having acquired a second-hand “teach yourself” book from a Red Cross parcel. He had to improvise on materials and became quite inventive making up colours from various sources.

He and his comrades were later force-marched in atrocious winter conditions, with little food or shelter, to Prussia, and then Austria.

On his return to Monmouth at the end of the war, he worked as a hairdresser with Ben Morgan, in a shop in Agincourt Square, before joining his family company, Wye Valley Laundry, as a director.

In 1947 he married Alice, and they lived at 93 Monnow Street and later in a bungalow they had built in Victoria Estate, which Richard named Harlech, a castle he enjoyed sketching. They then moved to London, living in Wimbledon for a few years. However, they didn’t enjoy city life and later moved to Rosebrook, in Watery Lane, then to Kings Fee. After his wife’s death he spent a short time in Abbeyfield, before moving to Whitchurch House, where he died just before his 97th birthday in 2006.

Throughout all of the period from his return from the war until shortly before his death, his love of painting played an important part in his life. His main passion was the countryside around Monmouth, which he painted in a distinctive style in watercolours, and later also in oils. After he died, his family inherited much of his work, and have decided to sell some of the paintings.

Stored in great niece Carol Reynolds’ attic, she thought it was a great shame for them not to be appreciated so they have decided to put them in the exhibition and use the proceeds of any sale to go to Bridges Centre where Richard enjoyed his time.

Richard’s great nephew Tony Bevan said that it will be wonderful to finally see them appreciated in the exhibition: “They are nearly all of local views, although one or two of them are still a mystery as to where they were painted.

“As he was a long-time member of the Wye Valley Art Society, they kindly let us have a section where we can exhibit them.”

The art society have kindly agreed to display them at their Autumn Exhibition in the Shire Hall from 27th to 30th September. All proceeds will be donated to Bridges Centre.