Mud Pies – Rosie, William and Joseph Battye as children

When I first moved to Dewsbury, I painted several canvases from subjects from on Park Road. Here the children playing so happily will now be in their 40’s of course. Sadly I sold this at Holmfirth Art Fair, as the children’s father, the late Stephen Battye chose not to purchase it, as he had recently commissioned another portrait of his children. He did however, purchase another of my paintings at the time. I offered to buy it back many years ago, but the couple who then owned it refused to sell it, though it has subsequently been sold on at auction at much less than its original value, so if anyone knows who currently owns it , I would love to know! It encapsulates all the natural fun of simple child’s play as I watched them making their mud pies of the garden wall at the Gothic House, as it was then known!