Painting of Spennymoor Railway Station by Ivan Norman, a Spennymoor artist. 1960s

Ref:	A128
Place:	Spennymoor Railway Station by Ivan Norman
Year:	1960s
Comments:	This fantastic painting is by little known artist Ivan Norman. Ron Graves, a lifelong friend of Ivan writes the following: "He was born in Spennymoor, in 1952, and grew up there attending what was then Durham Road Secondary Modern School (now, Tudhoe Grange). From very early on, Ivan was quite poorly with asthma and a serious skin complaint, leading his GP to say that he would not live to a great age. One day, when the GP was visiting the family home in Wood View, he saw a drawing of horses and chariots and was astounded by its quality. Ivan, still a small boy, had been taken by his dad to see the movie Ben Hur and was drawing pictures based on what he’d seen. The GP, obviously a religious fellow, said that Ivan’s artistic ability was compensation from God for the suffering he had to endure. "Ivan later attended Durham Technical College, before going on to Bath Lane College of Art, in Newcastle, and then Leicester University to complete a degree in fine art. His artistic interests were quite broad, although he had a particular passion for industrial history and especially railway locomotives. There are quite a number of landscapes, for example, which include steam engines. Some of his paintings also have a quiet a surreal quality. "Apart from his time at university, Ivan lived most of his life in Spennymoor and died very suddenly of a heart attack in 2004. He was unmarried, his father was already dead and his mother died within two weeks of Ivan, having taken to her bed immediately after his funeral. He has a sister who lives in Shildon." More of Ivan's work can be viewed here:www.ivanjamesnorman.com