Canadian artist Ted Harrison’s gifts to Hartlepool schoolboy expected to make thousands at Scarborough auction

Two oil paintings depicting wallabies and swimming fish are estimated to sell for between £800 and £1,200 while a screen print of a Maori figure estimated to sell for between £100 and £200.

Wingate miner’s son Ted Harrison, who was a former junior teacher, found inspiration from his surroundings and shot to fame for his landscape paintings of the Yukon after emigrating to Canada in 1967.

Dominic Cox, who is an art specialist with David Duggleby Auctioneers and Valuers, said: “Harrison was a very close friend of the vendor’s father. They had known each other for many years. Indeed, he was known in the family as ‘Uncle Ted’.”

These pictures have never been exhibited before or seen by anyone outside the vendor’s family until this year.

Dominic added: “Whilst the subjects are different to the Yukon landscapes for which Harrison became famous, they do show the beginnings of that passion for striking, vibrant colour, that would explode in his later work.”

The identity of the seller has not been disclosed.

More than 300 paintings will be on display at the auction, which is taking place at the David Duggleby’s Vine Street Salerooms, in Scarborough, on Thursday, June 15, and Friday, June 16.

Some paintings are estimated to sell for £10,000.

Harrison’s works will be on sale this Friday from 11am.