PAINTINGS which helped an artist make his name will be back on show in his studio this weekend.

Mackenzie Thorpe will always be known as "the square sheep man" whose quirky and colourful paintings of the animals caught the imagination of thousands.

Mr Thorpe has moved to San Francisco to concentrate on conquering the American market.

However, he is still in touch with his Richmond Arthaus , which hosts The Retro Sheep Show.

Fans, including former Conservative leader and local MP William Hague, have loaned their prize possessions for the month-long exhibition, which opens on Saturday at the studio in Finkle Street, Richmond.

"It's an ideal opportunity for those who missed the square sheep phenomena the first time round to see what it was all about," said Arthaus manager Wendy Bowker.

The exhibition includes a silent auction, with bids invited for a pen-and-ink work depicting two sheep. Proceeds will go to the Mackenzie Thorpe Foundation.

More paintings have been loaned to Richmond's newly-restored Georgian Theatre Royal for display in public areas, including the bar.