A love of the sea is reflected in the latest exhibition at the Golf Road Centre, featuring art work by Adrian White from Deal.

Mermaids, monsters and ships are all included in the display and the brightly coloured paintings can be seen at the community centre until October 30.

Adrian, from Church Lane, Deal, has enjoyed his artistic interest throughout his life and went to Canterbury College of Art in the early 1950s. He is now 79.

“The work at the centre is mostly fairly recent and I hope people will take pleasure in seeing my pictures, which are almost all oils which is a wonderful material. I do like strong colours and interesting images and many of the paintings are from my memory.”

In his working life Adrian spent years at sea as a paid hand, enjoying three years travelling around the Hebrides and visiting a variety of ports in the Mediterranean.

After a premature back injury, he was forced back on land to work and made a living as a sail maker. Although born in London, he now considers himself a Kentish person and moved to Deal about 30 years ago.

“I have always done a small amount of painting and drawing, but found it was slipping away from me, so I went back to art classes in Deal about 20 years ago.”

His work has previously been on show at Sandwich Library, in shop windows in Deal and also as part of the annual On The Fence exhibition, organised by Marion Short.

* The Golf Road Community Centre, Golf Road, Deal, is open from 9am. For more details ring 01304 239199.