RED Barn Gallery is hosting a retrospective show to celebrate the long career artist James Walsh.

Dating back to 1954, works include paintings and framed drawings, with some personal work which shows his influences and gradual progression into the distinctive style he has now.

With help from James himself and his son Martin Walsh, Red Barn has put together an exciting selection of work from the earliest - a small framed watercolour of a ship in Liverpool docklands - to the large canvases of recent years in his figurative mature style. Early paintings show Cubist and Surrealist influences with thoughtful self-portraits and naturalistic landscapes in various techniques.

The later and recent works often show brightly painted, dream like scenarios of women and men, some strong characters, others faceless and alone, some seem to be celebrating while others despair or crouch darkly in corners.

"I’m always reluctant to make any statements about my art," explains James. "It’s mainly figurative and drawn from my imagination, observations and memories, including dreams and recollections of childhood. For me a painting is a statement and an expression in itself, and I’m happy for others to reach their own understanding of my work."

Son Martin remembers his dad always with a sketchbook on his knee at home, and his skill as a draughtsman and illustrator is clear in some of the large framed drawings included in the show. The media of pen and ink reveals a skilled yet idiosyncratic style, which complements the paintings. Again, each one tells its own story.

James admits he has no plan: "They just flow."

As a young man, James was accepted at the Royal Academy School in London, but he had a young family to support which took priority over his studies. He lived in Southport most of his life and always worked as a local government employee until his retirement.

He exhibited with other Merseyside artists as far afield as Mons in Belgium, and throughout the north west of England as a member of the well-known Sefton Guild of Artists, which first brought his work to the attention of Red Barn Gallery owner Peter Stott during guild members 2008 exhibition at the popular Melkinthorpe exhibition. In 2009, James's work was the subject of the gallery’s first solo exhibition, almost two decades after his first one-man show in Southport in 1990.

Red Barn Gallery is part of Peter Stott's Larch Cottage Nurseries, hidden away in the tiny hamlet of Melkinthorpe in the Eden Valley and one of the UK's horticultural gems. Established by Cumbrian landscape designer Peter in 1984, the business has grown from originally providing plants for his landscaping business into a true garden of Eden with a thriving nursery.

James's painted the mural in the private chapel in which Peter and his wife Jo were married. The mural, which was completed over three summers in 2014-16, features many of the components of James's mature style, in turns irreverent and enigmatic, bold in composition and colour, and not afraid to challenge the viewer with its own mixture of styles.

The chapel is open to the public on Wednesdays and Sundays throughout the summer. The special sale of paintings and drawings will be in the gallery until the autumn 2018

Also, Red Barn is showing until the end of August ceramics by Patricia Shone from the Isle of Skye. Patricia’s pots reflect the landscape and environment where she is constantly inspired. Mainly vases and vessels the dark, deeply textured surfaces have a wild beauty on a formal form.

Also showing are the incredibly skilful Tromp l'oeil ceramics by Janet Halligan. Plus the latest stunning collection of silver and gemstone jewellery by Andrew O' Dell who is a fellow of the Institute of Professional Goldsmiths. Andrew has worked on commissions for many famous names, including the Queen.

James Walsh, A Retrospective runs until October.

Red Barn Gallery is open daily 10am-5pm.

For further information telephone 01931-712767 or visit Larch Cottage nurseries www.larchcottage.co.uk.