A LIVE demonstration of the painting style of an acclaimed North-East pitman painter was given at a museum exhibiting his work at the weekend.

International award-winning artist Martin ‘Lefty’ Kinnear gave a public oil painting display depicting the techniques adopted by Norman Cornish in creating his distinctive works.

The North Yorkshire artist was invited by the Bowes Museum, in Teesdale, to give his masterclass as part of its Norman Cornish exhibition.

Mr Kinnear is the museum’s artist in residence during the popular retrospective of the creations of the famous former Spennymoor miner.

Promoted as a major UK artist with strong northern roots, the demonstrations were a rare chance to see a contemporary painter in action.

A six-month solo exhibition of his own work, Regeneration, is coming to the Bowes in November.

He earned his affectionate nickname after a catastrophic stroke 16 years ago left him paralysed down his left side.

Despite his disability, he has gone on to become an acclaimed international painter, scooping the prestigious Medaille D’Argent in Paris in 2018, earning him an invite to exhibit at the famed Louvre museum in December.

Passionate about his northern roots in post-Brexit Britain, he believes the arts have a key role to play in the regeneration of the North.

“I was born and brought up in Burnley and Nelson but now live in North Yorkshire and I’m passionate about these areas and the people who live there.”

Dr Jane Whittaker, Bowes’ head of collections, said: “He is a prominent British contemporary artist who understands and celebrates the north of England."

Norman Cornish the Definitive Collection runs at Bowes Museum until February 20.