Bray artist Ray has immortalised the late ‘Baldy Paddy’

BRAY-BASED artist Ray Corcoran captured images and created a portrait of the late Patrick Moorehouse, in the months prior to his death.

He has since given the painting, pictured right, to the Moorehouse family but expects to produce more works based on a series of photographs he took.

Mr Moorehouse of Richmond Hill in Fassaroe died at home on July 23.

Ray said that Paddy was a brilliant model, and a brilliant study.

Moorehouse was a familiar figure often seen around the town of Bray, with his distinctive looks contributing to the colourful nickname ‘Baldy Paddy’.

‘I’d ask him to look a certain way and it was no problem,’ said Ray.

Ray just approached him in the street months ago and asked Paddy if he could paint him some time. ‘He said yeah, right, okay, but would you paint the children?’

Ray was given an older photo of three kids with a horse, which he painted and gave to Paddy.

Then they arranged to meet up in People’s Park. Ray took eight or ten pictures of Paddy.

‘I was working on it the day I went to the funeral,’ said Ray. ‘I only got to know him a little quite recently, then suddenly he died.

‘I’m glad I got the photographs,’ said Ray. After the first approach, Ray would chat Paddy every so often before the photographs were taken.

He painted the first piece in acrylics and plans to do a much larger painting in oils.

Patrick Moorehouse’s funeral took place on Wednesday, July 25, at St Peter’s Church, followed by burial at Springfield Cemetery.

A native of Kilkenny, artist Ray has lived in Bray for more than 30 years.