Robert Haworth, a 34-year-old artist from Fulwood, Preston, has been painting since he was old enough to hold a brush but most of his early works disappeared during a turbulent childhood, where he continuously moved between foster families and care homes.

Robert thought he had lost many of his favourite pieces of art until recently when he started bumping into long-lost works in shops, car boot sales and even in his friend's flat.

Richard, also known as the butterfly man after the creature which inspired him to carry on painting, said: "I have been painting since I was three years old and I am 34 now.

"I just did it as a hobby but I am an artist full-time now.

"When I was growing up I got through about 130 homes and foster families and I lived on the streets but I have been to university and did a degree and turned my life around.

"Every time I moved I could not take anything with me – now I keep finding my paintings."

Recently, he was shocked when he found a childhood painting of his at a friend's house.

"There was this tray and I just got an overwhelming feeling I had done it.

"I turned it over and my signature was on the edge from when I was about 10-years-old.

"I was just in shock.

"This has happened 30 times now recently – I can understand it once but 30 times!"

Robert has now found himself in the bizarre situation of regularly having to buy paintings that he created more than two decades ago.

He said: "I keep finding them in charity shops and car boot sales – I cannot understand why and how it keeps happening.

"I have even got teachers who can verify I did these things.

"One of the earliest paintings I did was a girl next to a tree.

"It is one of the things I did when I was in a foster family in Coppull when I was six.

"It turned up in a charity shop."

Some of Robert's recent work is on display at the PAD Gallery in Preston and for more information visit www.iamthebutterflyman.com

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