Artist’s work ‘taken’ from Ikea trolley
AN ARTIST had two original paintings taken from his Ikea shopping trolley – after taking them into the store to size up for frames.
Old master David March, 79, took the oil paintings with him to shop for Ikea frames to fit the canvasses of the countryside beauty spots.
But after loading the frames into his car, he left the artworks rolled up in his shopping trolley. When David returned to the Swedish furniture store in Cardiff Bay his paintings were gone – and he believes they may have been stolen.
David said he had painstakingly painted the landscapes of the Welsh countryside over several weeks as a gift for a friend suffering from multiple sclerosis.
David, of St Athan, said: “You put your heart and soul into paintings, so to lose them like that was very upsetting. Losing them was a double-whammy. Not only was it the time and effort, but they were meant to be a surprise gift for a good friend who has been paralysed from MS and who loves those landscapes.
“I was actually very pleased with them and wanted to see which style frame worked best. But after loading the frames into my car, I distractedly left the rolled-up canvasses in the trolley. I only realised my mistake once I got back home. I immediately returned to Ikea, but they had gone and no-one had
handed them in. I haven’t a clue what’s happened to them. I only hope they are hanging up somewhere giving someone pleasure, though it would be lovely to get them back to give to our friend.”
The paintings show Pen y Fan, in the Brecon Beacons, and Carreg Cennen castle, in Carmarthenshire.
David’s family say they contacted the police over the missing paintings but no-one has handed them in.
His daughter, Sarah Rosser, said: “They haven’t been handed in to Ikea or the police so we can only presume they’ve been stolen.”
The family is now appealing for anyone who knows anything about the vanishing art mystery to contact them or Ikea.
Ikea said they had looked for the artworks – but “no-one had found them”.