AN Oscar winning North-East director may pay a tribute to a former art teacher by buying one of his paintings.

Ridley Scott, whose films include Alien, Gladiator, Hannibal and Black Hawk Down, spotted a picture by Stephen Crowther on television and wrote asking about it.

Now, a collection of Mr Crowther's paintings is to go under the hammer at Anderson and Garland, in Newcastle, on June 29. The collection includes the painting which caught the eye of South Shields-born Mr Scott - showing the aftermath of a rain shower in Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool.

Picture specialist John Anderson said that Mr Crowther was interviewed by the BBC about his former pupil's career and was filmed with the recently-completed canvas in the background.

"Ridley saw the painting in the programme and later wrote to Stephen saying 'I saw a painting over your shoulder on Omnibus which looked great'."

He said that staff at Mr Scott's London production office had requested a sale catalogue for him to look at.

The picture is one of dozens of local views Mr Crowther painted in his 37-year career as a teacher at Hartlepool College of Art.

Mr Scott was a pupil at the college in the 1950s before going on to study at the Royal College of Art in London.

Published: 17/06/2004