THE artist himself has a modest manner and his voice is as soft as a cat on a carpet, but within him there swells enough talent to hang the walls of grand galleries with the faces of people who have in some way illuminated his life.
When he is finished, there will be 100 of these faces, all from Merseyside.
And they will be Tony Brown's own hall of fame to be formally unveiled in 2007 when Liverpool celebrates the 800th anniversary of its Royal Charter being granted by King John.
There is an urgency to complete what would be an immense undertaking for any artist. But Tony is blind in the left eye, following complications which arose from a diabetic condition, and there's a cataract on the other one.
Although stable at the moment, it could worsen, adding poignancy to the passionate calling of this gentle man, whose delicacy of touch depends on the observation of minute detail.
Yet Tony is not one to complain, having coming through the depression which cloaked him after he lost half his sight 14 years ago. He never talks in a defeatist way these days. There is an epic task before him and he will finish it and so offer his own gift to the story of Merseyside, its people and its pride.
For his hands can give a kind of immortality to the brave, the talented, the unsung, the kind and the decent, whose smiles would otherwise be glimpsed only fleetingly. Together, his portraits will be known as "100 Heads Thinking As One".
Tony's list will be more personal than those which have resulted from polls conducted for newspapers and radio stations, or the regular gong-giving ceremonies, in which the great and good favour their own, with the occasional token medal diplomatically bestowed on a deserving outsider.
Obviously, familiar names will be included; but, beyond the rich, the powerful and the famous, Tony hopes his portraits will tell us more about the characters who have contributed to the daily life of Merseyside, as Liverpool approaches the 2008 European Capital of Culture.
Tony has chosen some of his subjects, but others are as yet unknown even to him.
