The front cover of The Man Who Broke His Own Heart CD is a painting by my very good friend Ian Hirons. He painted it in High School for a Communications project. It hung on the wall of his family home for many years and I used to admire it whenever I was round.

 

The painting has a beautiful pathos about it – a cute, tragic little fat cartoon man – his loneliness spotlighted, his eyes downcast, his big bright nose making him the saddest of sad clowns. And the rest of the painting is so dark. No wonder he’s lonely – he’s in a void. And we’re shining a light on him for our own amusement. It is an amazing painting. All the more amazing considering Ian was only 17 when he painted it.

 

One day I was visiting Ian and noticed the painting wasn’t on the wall anymore. I found it stacked with a bunch of stuff in his garage. Ian had just lost interest in it. He was creating other things and wanted to move on. The garage was exposed to the elements and would have certainly damaged the painting so I asked if I could hang it on my wall until he wanted it back. He agreed and it’s been hanging in my bedroom ever since.

 

My friend Chris Tomkins photographed it for The Man Who Broke His Own Heart CD cover. I have looked at this painting many many times over the years and still love it. It’s solitary figure suits the title of the album and its subject matter. They are indistinguishable now.

 

I would like to thank Ian for his permission to use his painting. I hope he never wants it back.