Christopher Pratt was not just a painter. He was also our neighbour

This is a First Person column by Bill Gregory, a farmer in St. Mary's Bay, N.L. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.

He is not just a passenger or short footnote in the annals of history. He is woven into the fabric of our province.

After a lengthy illness, with his children by his side, Christopher Pratt died at home last Sunday morning. He was 86.

Since the early 1950s, Pratt sketched and painted a wide range of muses: people, boats, vistas, roads, buildings and water; rivers and oceans. He transformed the mundane or ordinary into something that could make you stop, look and think.

Among the things he drew: boats belonging to my St. Mary's Bay family.

Throughout his long and full career, Mr. Pratt — I always called him Mr. Pratt — has exhibited all over the world, including New York, London, Dublin and Paris. His works graces the walls of many galleries.

I didn't really realize the breadth and scope of his reach until much later in life.

While growing up around here, he was just Mr. Pratt, the guy who paints.

The Kennedys have their compound at Hyannis Port, in Massachusetts. Mr. Pratt had his beloved home, studio and retreat on the banks of the Salmonier River.

Like many who have had their wedding in the area, I used his backyard as the backdrop for pictures, and the adjacent Hurley's Bridge.

Both of these landmarks feature prominently in his work and in countless family photographs taken over the decades.

All told, there has been more alcohol consumed on that sod that would rival any festival or concert beer garden. Mr. Pratt must have made a fortune picking up the empties left by the various wedding parties.

I remember looking up his number in the phonebook to call and ask for his permission to use his property. Reflecting on it now, how many artists of his calibre were that open and accessible?

Just imagine, in the late 19th century, contacting Vincent Van Gogh to ask if you could use his backyard?