A talented graphic artist, a photographer who captured the spirit of the moment, a fine cartoonist...the tributes poured in yesterday forphotographer Arthur Bean who died early yesterday. He was 41.

Many also remembered personal characteristics: a private person, a good friend, and someone who was always friendly and modest about his many achievements.editor Bill Zuill said: "If there is anything positive to be taken from this tragedy, it is that his excellent and extensive body of work, consisting of photographs, cartoons and artwork will live on to remind us of this good man whose life was so tragically cut short today."

Mr. Bean, known by many as Butch or Butchy, died at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital after a short illness. His death was met with shock by friends and colleagues.

In a varied career, Mr. Bean worked for all the Island's papers, beginning and ending with .

He worked for the Bermuda Sun for nine years, and as a graphic artist for RG Magazine. As an independent artist he held several shows, the last at The Masterworks Foundation about a month ago.

It wasn't as a photographer, however, that Mr. Bean started out.

Arthur Bean Sr. said his son attended art school at The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, but then became a Policeman for about one or two years.

Almost from birth, however, he had an artistic leaning. His mother Claire Bean said from the age of three he was always drawing.

His interest continued to expand and, as well as newspaper work, Mr. Bean collaborated as an illustrator with writer Chris Bernard in the late 1980s on two colouring books about a pig named Grunter, who had magical mystery tours.

He was also the author of 'Bermuda Revisited' and 'Players', which featured a series of black and white photographs of local footballers.

Said Mr. Bean Sr.: "He was always looking for something else to do."

Mr. Zuill said Mr. Bean was a key member of the best team of photographers had ever known

"I know that his colleagues Tony Cordeiro, David Skinner and Tamell Simons will miss him terribly. He was a fine photographer whose professionalism and skill were very important to this newspaper where he was most recently employed from 1996 until now.

"He had a good eye and was an especially good photographer of people, both in general news and in sports."

Mr. Zuill added that Mr. Bean was a fine artist and cartoonist whose work graced the pages of RG and Bottom Line magazine.

"Perhaps more importantly, Arthur was a good person and colleague whose quiet demeanour could not hide his active and inquiring mind.

"We will all miss his quiet humour, his direct observations and his talent and our hearts and condolences go out to his parents and to his many friends in the community. chief photographer Tony Cordeiro hired Mr. Bean when he began his career at the paper.

"He was a very private person who had a quick wit," said Mr. Cordeiro. "I really enjoyed working with him, he was a great artist and a Trekky (Star Trek fan). I am extremely saddened and I am going to miss him."

Mr. Skinner, who had known Mr. Bean for 18 years, said: "He was very talented and a good news photographer. I enjoyed watching him do his computer art and he would give me different ideas about computer techniques. He was a good friend who will be missed a lot."

He also remembered another of Mr. Bean's more exotic interests.

"We had long chats about David Icke and conspiracy theories."

Mid-Ocean News editor Tim Hodgson said he had known Mr. Bean for about 18 or 19 years.

"He was a great photographer, graphic artist, cartoonist and a good friend," he said.

"It feels like a death in the family. My God, it is a death in the family."

Cartoonist Peter Woolcock said: "He was talented. We have lost another good young man."

The Masterworks Foundation's Tom Butterfield and Elise Outerbridge described Mr. Bean as "a great guy, a talented artist, a great citizen and a great person to have known".

"It struck me so hard," said Mr. Butterfield, "It was only a month ago that he had his show. "It just goes to show that life has no guarantees."

Ms Outerbridge said: "After his first show, he was so appreciative that people had come out to see his work. His work was really cutting edge."

Last night former Premier Jennifer Smith joined the tributes to Mr. Bean.

"It's a terrible loss, not only to the news media but to the artistic community as a whole," she said.

"He had just recently had a show at Masterworks and I think we were all looking forward to more from him. It's going to be a great loss and our sympathy goes to his family and his family."

RG Magazine editor Rebecca Zuill said Mr. Bean would come up with great illustrations no matter what the assignment was.

"He was a great guy and a good person," she said.

A friend of Mr. Bean's for ten years, Michael Fox, said: "He was a constant person, that was what was really nice about him.

"He also had an unusual sense of humour."

Freelance journalist Roger Crombie said that he and Arthur had collaborated on the Bermuda Factor in RG Magazine.

"Arthur was a decent man and very down to earth. He was a great source of imagination. In short, he was one of the good guys. We lost a good one."

As a news reporter for the Bermuda Sun, Tony McWilliam worked alongside Mr. Bean. They covered countless stories together.

"Though conscientious and committed to the art of photography, he walked to his own beat and I admired the fact that he remained true to himself," said Mr. McWilliam.

"It wasn't easy to get to know Arthur, but it was worth the effort. He was a physically strong guy with a gentle soul, and one of the best people I have ever known.

"When I saw him at the opening of his art show at Masterworks a few weeks ago, he looked well and happy. That's how I want to remember him."

Tributes were also paid yesterday by Governor Sir John Vereker, and his wife, Lady Vereker.

Lady Vereker, a great patron of the arts, said that she and her husband were saddened to hear the shocking news.

"He has covered so many of our official visits and events with the end result being a remarkable intuition for capturing the spirit of the moment and composing the frame with a kind of creativity not often seen," said Lady Vereker.

"His visual reporting and recording was artistic ? you could feel the energy of the crowd or the emotions of the person he zoomed in on.

"Looking back on news clippings of occasions where we have been present he really has caught the moment. From joy and exuberance at Cup Match, The Agriculture Exhibition or the Non-Mariner's Race to the pride and happiness of families receiving awards and public recognition to the gravity and solemnity of Hurricane Fabian and Remembrance Day.

"He was an invisible artist. You were never aware Arthur was focusing on you ? he had a knack for putting you at ease.

"He was affable, friendly and modest about his own achievements and will be greatly missed by everyone on the Island."

Arthur, 41, is survived by his parents Arthur and Claire Bean, his brother Brian, sister Alison Marshall, niece and nephews Brittany and Charles Marshall and Noah and Isaac Bean.