There will be many artists joining family and friends saddened to hear of the recent death from lung and bone cancer of respected artist Colin Courtice.

After a month in Southampton General Hospital he was transferred to Lymington New Forest Hospital where he died on November 12.

Colin had spent the past 20 years in fine art following a profession in the graphics industry.

Born in North London in July 1935, his principal education was at the Willesden and Hornsey Art Colleges. From there his career began as a trainee commercial artist with Art in Marketing in Fleet Street before National Service, where he was an RAF ground photographer attached to the Joint Air Reconnaisance Intelligence Centre (JARIC) in Oxford.

At JARIC he underwent advanced courses which nurtured a love of photography throughout his life, including film making and more recently in the computer age producing entertaining programmes complete with sound tracks on his travels and local events.

He married his wife Janet in 1960 and two years later they left London for Southampton when Colin joined a new studio as a commercial illustrator.

However, within a short time the company failed and Colin was made redundant, so in 1963, with a partner, he formed Studio 63 a two-man outfit which grew to become a major advertising agency in Southampton, MPC Advertising Ltd.

Changing fortunes enabled him and Janet to take over Southern Graphics Ltd, which he had run within the agency, a company they jointly operated from 1982 until 1995 when they decided to change direction to give Colin the opportunity to concentrate on art.

At this point, he and Janet moved from the Romsey area to Brockenhurst setting up an “at home” gallery and studio in the old Baptist Chapel in Lyndhurst Road.

Aside from his painting, Colin served on a number of committees including Ringwood Art Society, of which he was a past president, and Romsey Art Group where for many years he was exhibition secretary and treasurer.

Colin enjoyed painting a variety of subjects and was also a member of the Marwell International Wildlife Art Society and the Solent Aviation Art Society.

For some years he was a prominent member of The Woodlanders, whose popular exhibitions are held every September, and he exhibited at many local and national exhibitions over the years.

Colin received many awards for his paintings and he will be remembered as a demonstrator to art groups throughout the south, and tutor on his own courses, inspiring many artists to work in his favourite medium of pastel.

Throughout his life, Colin was always willing to help and support various activities. He was a Scoutmaster for the 20th Finchley Scout Troop in London, and was a founding member and past chairman of Southampton 1086 Round Table, and secretary and past chairman of the Southampton Publicity Club.

He also gave unstinting support to Janet in her own committee roles and interests in art, theatre and music.

Colin has many paintings in collections around the country and overseas and to his amusement, some of his early commercial work now crops up in museums! He was one of the artists involved in the production of the brochure for Mini at a time when all products of this kind were illustrated by studio artists from original blueprints. His Mini artwork features prominently at the British Motor Car Museum at Longbridge and in the Robert Opie memorabilia collection.

“Colin always said he would never 'rust away' and he certainly led a full and busy life, had an infectious sense of humour and leaves an indelible mark on all who knew him,” said his wife Janet.