Artist Tom Hume's last work gifted to Sunderland surgeon who saved his sight

The last painting created by a renowned North East artist has been presented to the Sunderland surgeon who saved his sight

Tom Hume completed the surprise work weeks before he died last year and had planned to present it to Sunderland Eye Infirmary Consultant Ophthalmologist and retinal surgeon Mr Maged Habib.

Tom first became a patient of the hospital around 20 years ago, when he woke to find he had lost the sight in one eye.

He was treated for a detached retina, restoring his vision. More recently, he was cared for by Mr Habib when scar tissue growing over the retina at the back of his eye began to cause distortion, making it harder for him to work as an artist.

Following surgery, his full sight was restored again and Tom began work on the oil painting, spending 21 sessions on the piece from July to August, capturing its progress in a series of photos.

Sadly, it became his final artwork, as he died after suffering a cardiac arrest while swimming in Seaham Harbour in October.

The 81-year-old, who was born in Stockton, leaves wife Barbara, children Benjamin and Jessica and grandchildren Ella and Noah.

Now Barbara has gifted the abstract painting to Mr Habib, ensuring her beloved husband’s wishes were followed.

She visited the hospital to meet the consultant and senior members of the team, sharing an insight into Tom’s career and their life together.

Tom had named the artwork Kosthalmic, a blend of cosmic and ophthalmic. Notes in his sketch book referred to the image as an eye and the design also drew on the structure of outer space.

Unusually for his style, he expanded the painting to take in the frame and created it so it could be hung multiple ways.

In a moving note about the painting sent to Mr Habib, Barbara explained Tom had created it in appreciation of his treatment. She wanted to present it to him as he had wished, adding she was disappointed Tom would not be able to explain the symbols featuring in the image.

However, she was able to tell him she knew Tom had added tiny white dots to the work when he discovered Scheerer’s phenomenon, which happens when tiny bright dots move quickly through the visual field of the eyes, especially when looking into bright blue lights, such as the sky.

“Tom completed the painting a fortnight before he died, not knowing it would be his last, and I felt it must get to Mr Habib, although I knew it would be hard to pass it on,” said Barbara.

“His eyesight was so vital to him as an artist. When he first had the detached retina, we went to the optician and they sent him straight here to the eye infirmary and they did a fantastic job. He was always so appreciative of what they did for him.

“Then a few years ago his eye started to deteriorate and he met Mr Habib, they got talking about his painting and he was very curious about it. He always said how excellent he’d found his visits to the hospital.

“I hope Mr Habib finds a good place to put it.”

Mr Habib said Tom had been ‘a delightful patient’: “I was very moved when we received the note to say Tom had made this painting for me, I really had no idea he had created it. We were very sad to hear about this sudden death,” he said.

It is exceptionally kind of Barbara to complete his wish, to visit us to present the painting and tell us about the process and time he took to create it. It’s a fascinating artwork and it was an honour to receive it.

“Tom was always very capable of describing his visual symptoms in relation to the universe around him, describing the distortion symptoms and how it was affecting his painting, which was his passion.

“It was always fascinating to hear about his art ideas and painting abstracts, proudly showing me pictures of some of his previous work. I felt the weight of the responsibility on me operating on his eye.

“I was so happy to meet him after his operation and notice the improvement in his symptoms, which allowed him to resume his activities.

“Grateful and passionate patients like Tom make huge difference to our work and reflects the true values of good doctor-patient relationship that is at the core of and fundamental to all our services.”

Tom inspired the next generations of creative talent as a Head of Art at Middlesbrough High School.

His own interest in painting began as a student at Barnard Castle School where he boarded, when his teacher Douglas Pittuck became his role model.

He went on to study at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art in Oxford and Goldsmiths College of Art in London, before launching his own teaching career at St Michael’s RC Secondary School in Newport, Middlesbrough, and worked at Middlesbrough High School from 1971 to 1990.

He left the role following a heart attack when he was 48 and continued to work as an artist at his home studio in Durham City. He also enjoyed gardening and bee keeping and spent six months of the year living and painting in New Zealand from 2001

A major retrospective of Tom’s work is scheduled to go on show next year in the William Allan Gallery at Ushaw College in Durham. A website of his work is available through https://tomhume.me