Obituaries

Jon Serl, artist, died Lake Elsinore, California 23 June, aged 98. A self- taught painter, he produced more than 1,200 works on wood scraps, plywood signs and other salvaged material using paints he made from earth and homegrown plants. 'I have a way of painting that is mine,' he said. 'People can see in it whatever they want.' Refused to sell or exhibit his work for 20 years before finally allowing a display in the 1970s. Two pieces are in the permanent folk art collection of the Smithsonian Institution.

Scott Barrie, fashion designer, died Alessandria, Italy 8 June, aged 52. One of the first black American designers to make his mark in the fashion world.