Painter and sculptor Thomas Hutchings loves his new hometown of Honeymoon Bay.
But he’s not fond of whoever stole two of his prized paintings off the wall of his studio sometime last weekend.
Hutchings moved from Newfoundland to Honeymoon Bay 10 months ago and renovated and set up his new studio in the community’s old gas station.
But he said the COVID-19 crisis has cut into his business, and now he needs money to help pay for his lease on the studio and his artistic materials.
“I had taken down the rest of the paintings and stored them at a friend’s house for the time being, but I left those two pictures on the wall at the studio because I had a possible sale for them, and was looking to make about $2,500 each for them,” Hutchings said.
“I noticed at around noon on Sunday (April 26) that they were missing. There was no sign of a break in, so I’m assuming someone must have had a key to get in. I was never very far from the studio over the weekend so the thieve(s) must have acted pretty quickly.”
Hutchings said that, while he has many paintings that he painted while in Newfoundland, the two stolen ones were the first ones he created while living on Vancouver Island.
He said he reported the theft to the Lake Cowichan RCMP detachment and the police are investigating.
“I’m hoping that if someone sees my paintings, or know of their whereabouts, they will call the Lake Cowichan RCMP and report it,” Hutchings said.
robert.barron@cowichanvalleycitizen.com
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