A KIDDERMINSTER artist who has gathered inspiration from local scenery and mountains in the Lake District will be displaying his work in the town's library next month.

James Hall's exhibition - A Love of Lakes and Landscapes - will be open on Saturday, February 4 and run until Saturday, February 18.

The 35-year-old, of Comberton Hill, has enjoyed painting as a hobby since he was a student at Wolverley High School and has been picking up the brushes more and more in recent years.

The exhibition will feature around 30 paintings, including landscapes, which feature mountains and lakes.

Mr Hall, whose technique is mostly self-taught, works in gouache and acrylics. In particular, he likes to paint reflections and visits the Lake District and Scotland several times a year with his wife, Karen, for inspiration as well as walking in the Wyre Forest, Chaddesley Woods and around Kinver.

The printer, who works in Birmingham, said he often took his camera with him when he went walking to capture scenery he could paint in his studio.

He explained: "I can spot a scene when I go walking that I will enjoy painting. I tend to know when the light is right, the composition is right and that is when I reach for the camera."

His paintings of a kingfisher and a greylag goose were used by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust for its greetings cards in 2003 and he has work on display in galleries in Clent and the Lake District.

Mr Hall said he was looking forward to his first exhibition in his home town, adding: "It is nice to show my work locally. I want to show people in Kidderminster what I can do. Not a lot of people know what I paint so I am very excited because there seems to be a lot of people interested.

"I just hope I get a good response. I am amazed at the number of people I speak to who go to the Lake District or Scotland regularly. I hope it will appeal to them and people who go walking locally.

"This year is a big year for me. I hope to work towards making it a full-time career. I hope to be up in the Lakes before the exhibition to get some more inspiration. I am also doing a painting day, which is when I sit in the gallery and paint and people can ask me about my work and technique."

For further information about Mr Hall's, work visit www.jameshall.net

For library opening times, telephone 01562 824500.