Tributes have been paid to one of Ireland's best known artists, Co Antrim painter Basil Blackshaw, who has died aged 83.
Mr. Blackshaw, who was born in Glengormley in 1932, was regarded as one of the most talented Irish artists of his generation.
His work included rural scenes, in particular horse racing and portraits of the writer Brian Friel, Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney and actor Clint Eastwood.
Blackshaw was a member of the Royal Ulster Academy, exhibited at the Tate Museum in London, and also designed posters for the Field Day theatre company in Derry.
Dublin's Royal Hibernian Academy has described him as "one of Ireland's greatest artists" who was "lauded by the art world and his fellow painters", while Aosdána, the association of artists, described him as "a uniquely imaginative genius".
Fellow Northern Ireland painter Colin Davidson paid tribute on Twitter saying, “My hero has died. Thank you Basil Blackshaw. Rest in peace.”
In a later interview Davidson said that Basil "could have been the most important European painter of the last years - if not one of - but Basil....wasn't interested in that."
Deeply private, Blackshaw remained an elusive figure and only rarely granted interviews and even went as far as covering his face with a paper bag at one of his exhibitions in Cork.
One of the last interviews he gave was to journalist Eamon Mallie, who also published a book on the artist in 2003. He told BBC Ulster that "real artists keep evolving, keep pushing the frontiers. And that's what Basil did right up until the end."
It's with deep sadness that I report the death of Irish artist Basil Blackshaw. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. E. pic.twitter.com/sM1SYscAV0
— Eamonn Mallie (@EamonnMallie) May 2, 2016
My hero has died. Thank you #BasilBlackshaw. Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/mh5KjUVzos
— Colin Davidson (@colin_davidson) May 2, 2016
Basil Blackshaw - our greatest painter - has passed away. Rest in peace wonderful man.
— John Kelly tweets (@johnkellytweets) May 2, 2016
