Frank's way with paint

A series of extraordinary abstract paintings by Frank Sinatra are to be auctioned by his widow.

Sinatra's passion for painting was rarely discussed during his lifetime, but the singer created a large number of pieces which will go under the hammer tomorrow.

Sixteen works are being sold by Barbara Sinatra at the Godt-Cleary Gallery in Las Vegas. Prices for the bold, contemporary canvases range from $7,000-$22,000. Two pieces have already found buyers.

Sinatra used painting as an escape from his celebrity for more than 40 years, working in a studio in his Palm Springs home.

The pieces are influenced by modern masters and, with their vibrant colours and abstract shapes, are reminiscent of many other paintings and posters of the jazz age.

In one picture the legendary crooner has taken a piece of fan mail covered in lipstick kisses and the words "Dear Frankie, I'll love you until the day I die" and framed it against a bright red background; in another he uses angular shapes in violently clashing shades of red and blue.

The entertainer, whose epic singing and film career spanned six decades, died of a heart attack in 1998 with Barbara, his fourth wife, at his side.

In addition to the works by the singer, a selection of personal memorabilia including photographs, prints and albums will be sold.