A formerly homeless man who found success as an artist was identified Tuesday as the apparent homicide victim whose body was found in his Everett apartment.

Last year, Francis “Frank’’ Brescia told The Boston Globethat his struggles had given him focus for his art, including what became known as his “Skywall’’ paintings. One depicted a wide, marine-blue sky with a tall yellow structure and a small white house with a missing wall.

“The idea just came to me,’’ Brescia told the Globe at the time. “One wall is off to represent homelessness. Four months ago I didn’t have four walls around me.’’

Brescia’s body was discovered Saturday in his Oakland Avenue apartment as his landlord conducted a well-being check. He had been killed sometime before Saturday. Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan’s office is leading the investigation.

Ryan’s office identified Brescia, 65, as the victim on Tuesday.

The state medical examiner's office was working to establish a cause of death.

Officials said they do not know how long ago Brescia was killed.

One Oakland Avenue resident said on Monday that she last saw the man now identified as Brescia about 10 days earlier.

“Just a really sweet guy,’’ said that next-door neighbor, Lisa D’Ambrosio.

He had invited D’Ambrosio upstairs to his apartment to have dinner together and look at his artwork. His art was a big part of his life, she said, and something he proudly told her about.

“He invited me up several times to see his artwork, and I never did,’’ she said. “I’m really disappointed because he was a really, really nice guy.’’

D’Ambrosio said she often saw Brescia walking outside with a young man, whom she believed to be his son. She said the man also enjoyed sitting on his deck when the weather was warm.

John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe. Felicia Gans can be reached at felicia.gans@globe.com.