Death of mural artist (From Cotswold Journal)

Death of mural artist

12:00pm Monday 25th June 2012 in News

TRIBUTES have been paid to an artist whose work has been seen by thousands of people in Pershore.

Cyril Mason, of Shenstone, near Kidderminster, died on May 29 – a day before his 84th birthday – following a long battle with illness.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara, his children Jayne and David, and four grandchildren.

Mr Mason was a graphic designer by trade, running a business in Stourbridge, and was a talented artist in his spare time.

Shortly after his retirement in the early 1990s, he was commissioned to paint a giant mural measuring about 4.5m wide by 2m high to hang in reception of the then newly constructed Pershore Civic Centre – home of Wychavon District Council.

Due to the size of the piece, the council helped Mr Mason find an empty office building where he could paint the artwork, which took him less than two months to complete and features landmarks from across the district.

His daughter, Jayne Snape, said she was proud of her father’s achievement.

“It’s rare to be commissioned to do such a large piece,” she said.

“I’m incredibly proud. I think it’s a wonderful piece of work and to have the opportunity for it to hopefully stay there indefinitely is fantastic. My father was very proud of it as well. It was a pressure because of the size and scale of it but it was something different.”

Councillor Paul Middlebrough, leader of Wychavon said he was a “personal fan”

of Mr Mason’s artwork and it was hoped the mural could be made into a commemorative postcard.

“We’re very sorry to hear of Cyril’s death and our thoughts are with his family,”

he said.

“Cyril provided us with a wonderful visual for our reception area which encompassed the many stunning geographical landmarks around our district.”

Mr Mason was a fellow of the Society of Chartered Designers and a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, among other groups. He was commissioned to paint for several high-profile projects.

His work can be found in private collections in the UK, USA, France, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia. He was still painting up to the week before he died and exhibitions planned in Worcester and Broadway later this year will still go ahead.

Mrs Snape described her father as a “remarkable”

man. “My father was very special because he was so incredibly talented,” she said. “We are happy he lived a fulfilled life.”

In addition to his art, Halesowen- born Mr Mason was a passionate follower of jazz music, having played trumpet in the RAF swing band The Comets, as well as performing with his own band.

He was also a governor at Stourbridge College and a visiting lecturer at Manchester and Doncaster colleges.

His funeral took place on Wednesday, June 13, at Wyre Forest Crematorium.