SCENES from the North-East's shipbuilding industry are among the paintings on display at a new exhibition.

Peter Patrick Burns is holding an exhibition at Seaton Holme, in Easington Village, until September 2.

Mr Burns, who is largely self taught, worked for many years in the shipbuilding industry, where he gained inspiration for many of his character studies.

In 1984, he was chosen by Shell UK to design and illustrate the company's calendar, which won the international Best Business Calendar competition in 1984.

His work extends beyond the shipbuilding industry, and his portrait of John Kennedy hangs in the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library, in the US.

Best-selling North-East novelist Catherine Cookson sat for him between 1984 and 1985 and he compiled a series of drawings and sketches of her.

In 1987, he undertook an 18-month project portraying the shipyard worker and his environment, which resulted in a major exhibition at Newcastle University.

Seaton Holme is open to the public from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 11am to 4pm at weekends. Admission is free.