Early Life and Artistic Influences Colin Middleton (1910–1983) was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the only child of Charles Middleton, a damask designer who fostered an appreciation for European Modernism within his family. Despite initial reluctance to pursue formal artistic training—influenced by his father’s preference for Impressionist aesthetics—Middleton attended Belfast Royal Academy until 1927 and continued his studies with evening classes at Belfast School of Art under the guidance of Newton Penprase, gaining invaluable experience in design. From a young age, Middleton was capti…