A WEST Cumbrian artist will be hosting an exhibition in Maryport this March. 

Simon Wallace, of Brigham, who sells his artwork across the area, will host the exhibition at the Shipping Brow Gallery. 

Since the early 2000s, I have exhibited paintings in galleries throughout Scotland and North England. 

It is called Reflections and includes almost 40 paintings of Maryport Harbour and the Solway Firth.

He said: "The new Shipping Brow Gallery only opened in November, and part of it is a personal collection of Percy Kelly and William Mitchell art. 

"This is owned by a couple from Maryport who set up the gallery to put the art on public display, it's a charitable trust. 

"However, the downstairs area is open for contemporary art exhibitions and they've invited me to run my exhibition from March 6 until April 7. 

"It is a real privilege to exhibit alongside works in the gallery’s permanent collection by Percy Kelly and William Mitchell and of course, to follow in the footsteps of so many other great artists such as LS Lowry and Sheila Fell, who have been inspired by Maryport and the surrounding area.

Times and Star: A piece of artwork that will be on display A piece of artwork that will be on display (Image: Simon Wallace)

"I've been painting and selling art through galleries for around 22 or 23 years now. In the last six years, I've been doing it professionally, although I have had various careers over the years, including working as the editor of the News & Star in Carlisle many years ago. 

"It's tremendously exciting, and although I've been displaying in galleries for a long time this will be my first solo exhibition. 

"I'll be showing around 36 paintings and I've been working on this for quite a long time. 

"I have loved Maryport for a long time in fact, since I came to work in Cumbria in 1977. It is great to see the town and especially the harbour area, undergoing a renaissance. 

"It's a labour of love to paint the Solway Coast and some of the wildlife you see on the beaches. 

"I am very proud of the work I have produced over the past year in the build-up to this event.

"You can get a sneak preview of some of the paintings on my Instagram account: simon_wallace_art."