Andrew Gifford, a world class artist from the region has been in residence for a month at UK Land Estates' Tyne Bridge Tower in Newcastle.

Working from the top floor of the 12-torey office building, Andrew has spent this time working on a collection highlighting some of the region's cityscapes and landscapes.

Andrew was raised in Middlesborough and gained a first-class degree in Fine Art from Newcastle University.

Three years after leaving university he was selected as one of 12 to be featured in a major BBC documentary to profile the work of the most exciting contemporary artists living and working in the UK today.

Andrew's paintings have been widely exhibited, most recently at Leeds City Art Gallery in 2004. His paintings are in public collections in the United Kingdom and in private collections in Europe, USA and Japan.

Sir Ian Wrigglesworth, chairman of UK Land Estates, said: "We were delighted to be able to allow Andrew the opportunity to view the region from such an outstanding position.

"Tyne Bridge Tower is excellently located with superb views of the city. UK Land Estates will shortly be carrying out a major refurbishment programme to bring a new lease of life to this 1970s office block.

"Andrew has produced a fine collection of paintings and we are just pleased to have been able to help a regional artist.

"We are also pleased to announce that Andrew will be having a gallery evening to display his paintings in Point 5 on Gateshead Quays, another of UK Land Estates' developments, in October."

Andrew said: "Tyne Bridge Tower has the most spectacular, panoramic views of Newcastle and Gateshead. It has been a fantastic opportunity for me to put down on canvas the essence of NewcastleGateshead."

Andrew's work is concerned with the shifting effects of light and atmosphere.

The industrial landscapes of the north, railway lines into London and the Thames have all been themes that have allowed Andrew to show us the beauty of what otherwise we might pass by.

As the light changes so another painting comes into being. From this he depicts various conditions of light over the same landscape in a series of works.

Though his paintings usually take several months to complete, initially he paints with great confidence and speed.