SUCCESS overseas has tempted one of the country's leading contemporary artists to confirm his imminent departure from his studios in the region.

Mackenzie Thorpe - famous for his square sheep and Christmas cards commissioned by Tory leader William Hague - is heading for San Francisco on the crest of a wave of popularity in the US.

An exhibition of his work in Birmingham in February won international acclaim, with 15 gallery owners from the US crossing the Atlantic to see it.

They toured the artist's studio in Richmond, North Yorkshire, and his home town of Middlesbrough, before heading home to spread the word about the man named as the Fine Art Guild's Best Selling Artist last year.

When interviewed by The Northern Echo in May, Mr Thorpe said he was struggling to keep up with the spiralling interest in his work, with appearances on chat shows in the US now a regular demand.

A brief statement released on his behalf yesterday confirmed that commitments in the US, Australia and Japan now meant a move was inevitable.

A spokeswoman for the artist - still away on business and unavailable for comment - emphasised Mr Thorpe was by no means severing his links with the region.

"Part of the Mackenzie Thorpe operation is also moving to Canada, but there are some exciting things planned for the gallery in Richmond," she said.

More details will be released at an exhibition of work by the artist at his Richmond studio next Thursday, when he will also bid his friends farewell.

Mr Thorpe, who is dyslexic, was written off by his school when he was 15 and set to work in the steel foundries on his native Teesside.

However, at 19, he signed up for art college, where he discovered a talent for colourful paintings and sculpture, often reflecting life in the area where he had grown up.

Millionaire Cameron Mackintosh and Rolling Stone Bill Wyman are among those who own examples of his work, while Richmond MP Mr Hague has used his work on his Christmas cards for several years.