HE'S an old master - in every sense of the word.

Painter and teacher Stuart Beck is finally retiring - at the age of 96.

As an artist and illustrator, Stuart ranks with the best. Beck seascapes are on permanent display at the RNLI Museum in Poole, Dorset, and at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London.

He's exhibited all over the world. The Sultan of Oman even commissioned a Beck, and Prince Edward also owns of one of Stuart's works. It was commissioned as a birthday present six years ago.

As well as his noble canvases, which make Stuart a worthy member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, he made many young fans in the Sixties with his illustrations for the Boys' Own Paper.

But for the last 40 years, Stuart, from Lymington in the New Forest, has been showing others how to follow him into Who's Who in Art.

"I just slid over into teaching, while I was still a commercial artist. I was working locally in the design office of Vickers at Hurn (near Christchurch in Dorset) and it was easy to combine with tutoring," said Stuart, a father of two who also has four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

He's taught painting to prisoners, and on barges, while at his local community centre in Lymington he's been the long-time inspiration of the regular Thursday watercolour group. His students held a party at the centre to mark their mentor's 96th birthday, and also his retirement.

Daphne Andrews has been attending Stuart's class for 15 years. She said: "If my painting doesn't look right, he always knows just how to correct it. And he does lovely demonstrations - reflections on a river, misty mornings and so on - he doesn't just tell you how to do it, he can show you," she said.

Fellow student Betty Paddock said: "Stuart told us he did his first painting, aged just six, on a boat to New Zealand captained by his father. He once took a trip to the Arctic because he wanted to paint some big waves.

"He has a great sense of humour.''

Lymington Community Centre Director Keith Cromar has a large Beck canvas on the wall of his office, showing two tall ships, perfect to every sheet and spar.

"Stuart is so experienced - and so is his class. He will be a very hard act for a new tutor to follow!" he said.

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