WELL-known local artist Alan Norris has died at his St Albans home aged 83. Trained at St Albans Art College and at Bournemouth, he ran the art and design department at St Albans (later Oaklands) College until his retirement in 1991. He also taught there

WELL-known local artist Alan Norris has died at his St Albans home aged 83.

Trained at St Albans Art College and at Bournemouth, he ran the art and design department at St Albans (later Oaklands) College until his retirement in 1991.

He also taught there at both day and evening classes where many people remember him as a gentle and helpful teacher.

During the last war, he was in the Royal Artillery and was scheduled to go to Arnheim before being switched on to a course on Morse Code.

Local artist Marsden Hammant, who was given his first teaching job at Oaklands through Alan, said: "He told me that when he retired he picked up his brushes and carried on painting St Albans. He painted every day and over the years created many hundreds of paintings of St Albans and its people.

"I would be surprised if anyone has painted St Albans more than Alan. He was a strong colourist and his paintings were always underpinned by strong drawing. He sold through word of mouth and more recently through Herts Open Studios and there are just so many homes around the district with Alan's paintings."

A memorial service is to be held in St Stephen's Church, St Albans, at 2.30pm next Friday, August 14.

A plan is being drawn up to catalogue Alan's work with photographs of known works and their whereabouts for the Hertfordshire archives.

He usually signed his work AN with the date and anyone who owns an Alan Norris painting is asked to contact Steve Rogers on 01727 811412.