Between October 1972 until his death in February 1975, Hilton produced one of the most extraordinary groups of works in modern British art. He was bedridden through ill health and forced to work with his right (wrong) hand. Abandoning oil paint, he adopted children's poster colours, noted for their strong tones and dry finish.

He continued to oscillate between abstract and figurative modes but one notices a much stronger narrative element. He painted all sorts of animals which some people have suggested can be seen as symbolising the artist himself. Travel also features – horses and carts, boats – and scenes of the everyday life of the artist and his family. Even as death seemed imminent, most of the works have a joyous air. A number, which show a small child, vulnerable and isolated have a more poignant atmosphere. The style and circumstances of these works has led some to see them as childish and less significant than Hilton's earlier work. Others consider them as an important development in the history of art comparable to the work of the American painter Philip Guston.