True, Dewis had finally escaped the dictates of his overbearing father that had stymied his career for almost three decades. He was now free to focus on painting. He could spend more time in the studio in his family's large apartment at 36-40 "Rue de St-Cathérine" over the "Maison Dewachter" in Bordeaux. But, his career would be marked by uncommon public relations misfortune. As daughter Andrée (bilingual, like her sister) would say in English many years later, "Dad had hard luck!"