About two years ago, someone started displaying some really colourful, abstract (cubist?), paintings near where I work. Over the course of the next few early mornings, I noticed his work in the doorway of a local shop and saw that he was sleeping rough.

He approached me, one afternoon and asked if I wanted to buy one. Initially, I didn’t, but I asked him about his work. His name is Karol Ciesluk and he came to the UK from Poland. After a run of bad luck, he was made homeless but didn’t want to beg for money, so he decided to paint and sell what he could. I really admired his attitude and I knew then that I wanted to get a painting but one for my collection, so I asked him to paint me his version of the Millennium Falcon.

It took a while. Karol had some problems from time to time. He’s also not familiar with Star Wars and didn’t really know how to approach something like this and I was adamant that I wanted it in Karol’s own style.

The painting is oil on canvas and is 36″ by 24″. I have a place picked out for it.

He got quite a lot of attention from passers by while painting this and he says that he will be creating more Star Wars art in the future. It isn’t to everyone’s taste, but you’ve got to admire the gumption of someone to do anything other than beg for money.

I wish him the very best of luck.