Keef pictures to be auctioned

Broke artist Daniel Calvert is selling two of Keith Richards' paintings. Photo / Hagen Hopkins

Two more never-before-seen paintings by Rolling Stone Keith Richards created while he recuperated from brain surgery in New Zealand have surfaced.

The Herald on Sunday revealed last week how a rare watercolour by the rocker, painted in 2006, was found stashed in a drawer in Cotter House, a swanky Auckland bed and breakfast.

The story has prompted unemployed Wellington artist Daniel Calvert to unveil two signed paintings Richards gave him while Calvert was a part-time handyman and gardener at Cotter House.

The guitarist swapped his artworks for two of Calvert's efforts.

The Richards originals have been hanging in Calvert's house for the past seven years - but he wants to cash up and is offering them for auction.

"I'm broke and out of work at the moment so this has been very timely," he said.

"I used to run errands for Keith while he was here and we sometimes chatted about art.

"I offered to swap two of my paintings for his and to my surprise he agreed. I haven't been in touch with him since, but it is nice to think my work could be hanging on the wall at one of Keith's houses."

Calvert said when the rocker left Auckland he handed him a $1200 tip.

"I have no idea how much Keith's paintings will fetch at auction but it will be a lot more than that."

The watercolours by Richards were done on A4 paper.

One, featuring animals, is based on ancient French cave art.

Neil Campbell, managing director of auction house Webbs, expects them to fetch many thousands of dollars.

"We are considering selling them on BuddyBid, which is a New Zealand-made Facebook auction platform. That way we could target about 12 million fans worldwide while there is interest in the band being here."