Hays ? Twelve watercolors by internationally known artist John Cody were recovered after the car in which they were being kept overnight was stolen.

Police discovered the paintings undamaged Monday afternoon at a residence in Hays, Bill Lovewell, an investigator with the Hays Police Department said.

Artist John Cody holds one of his original watercolor paintings at his home in Hays as Detective Tom Meiers of the Hays Police Department, left, looks on. Twelve watercolors by Cody were missing after the car in which they were being kept overnight was stolen. The paintings were recovered undamaged Monday at a residence in Hays. Two men are in custody but have not been formally charged.

Two men are in custody but have not been formally charged in the case.

“If those paintings were lost to society, it would be a big loss,” Lovewell said. “We were glad we found them.”

Although the paintings of Saturniid moths are insured for a total of $240,000, the artist said he doesn’t think they were the thieves’ intended target.

“I think the people who took these were just opportunists. I doubt if anybody studied the situation and waited for an opportunity,” Cody said. “I have no feelings I want to extract revenge on somebody. I’m not interested in prosecution. I just want them back.”

Cody does not sell his paintings, but said that when they are loaned for exhibit, they ordinarily are insured for $20,000 each.

The theft occurred after the paintings were loaned to Commerce Bank in Hays for a July exhibition.

Hays Arts Council executive director Brenda Meder said she was asked to hang them and agreed to see to the hanging and removal of the paintings. It was not a Hays Arts Council project, Meder said.

The paintings, each matted and framed, were removed from the trunk of Meder’s car after it was taken from her home sometime late Aug. 6 or early Wednesday.

Meder told police she had removed the paintings from the bank Aug. 5 and put them in the trunk of her car. She was unable to contact Cody to return them on that day and left the paintings in the trunk.

On the evening of Aug. 6, her son moved the car and left the keys in the ignition, Meder told police. She discovered it missing Wednesday morning.

The car was recovered late that morning in a parking area at a local park, Detective Tom Meiers said.

Adding to concerns over the paintings’ fate are rainstorms that moved through the area over the weekend and watercolors would run in the rain.

Police got a lead on the paintings while investigating another case Monday, Lovewell said.

Cody said the paintings actually are the property of two daughters and a son and were on loan from them.

“They represent about 2 1/2 years of work,” said the artist, who travels all over the world to collect the moths he paints. “I’m creating them as a legacy to my children and grandchildren.”