It was Norval's plan that I protect his artistic legacy.

As Norval's long time protege, who mixed his paints and stretched his canvasses, some consideration of my eyewitness account of his production during the late 70's and early 80's must be included in the historic record. 

Many of the forged paintings are signed in black drybrush (and often dated). I painted with Norval in the 70's, 80's and 90's. I never once saw him sign the back of canvasses in black paint. From time to time he would title or sign a painting on the back with pen, pencil and even marker. I'd also like to point out that the "drybrush" look was abhorant to Norval. Instead he required just the right fluidity to his black paint because it was the colour he did "lining" with.

Furthermore, I find it absurd that Norval would paint the year on the back of these paintings. He never knew what day, month or year it was, or needed to. Prints required dates, paintings didn't. Everyone who knows Norval knew that it was like "pulling teeth" to get him to title a painting.

In my expert opinion the Norval Morrisseau paintings that display this dry brush technique on the back of the canvass were not painted by Norval Morrisseau.

In this posting I'd like to explore the signatures that appear on the backs of canvasses and compare the "M" in Morrisseau on what appear to be authentic signatures and the "M" on the black drybrush signatures that are forgeries in my opinion. The "M" painted on the back of numerous forged paintings appears to "lean into" and appears to "squeeze" the letters that follow. Authentic Norrisseau "M"'s appear to me to align at the same angle as the two "r's" and not lean in.

Here are examples of Norval Morrisseau Signatures

 that are probably authentic.

Here are examples of what appear to be forged

 Norval Morrisseau Signatures in black drybrush.

The paintings they appear on are in my expert opinion forged.

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