MUSICIAN Roger Davies is known for singing the praises of his hometown, Brighouse, and surrounding towns and villages.

Now he has captured places close to his heart in striking paintings on display at the Harrison Lord Gallery in Brighouse.

The delightful paintings - of places including the Square Chapel for the Arts in Halifax, the Rex Cinema in Elland, Bradford Cenotaph, local cafes, street scenes, pubs, a fish and chip cafe and music shop and Brighouse bus station - each feature a cartoon-like version of Roger, in trademark flat cap, carrying his guitar.

Roger says the 40 new original paintings in the exhibition are done in a style “intended to amuse, endear, inform and entertain”. Some pictures are presented as a tribute to Roger’s old friend, late ‘Pennine Landscape Painter’ Peter Brook.

This is Roger’s second art exhibition at the gallery. He says most of the new artwork is inspired by his experiences as a musician and artist.

“I like to celebrate aspects of my locality in my work,” says Roger. “I performed my song, Bradford Born and Raised, in City Park, Bradford, with 400 local schoolchildren singing along as part of BBC Music Day. And I recorded a live album at Bradford’s Topic Folk Club, released in 2016 when I accompanied Fairport Convention on a 30-date UK tour. I’m returning to the Topic for a solo concert in December.”

Roger discovered a love of art while at Brighouse High School and went on to study at Batley School of Art. He has a degree in Fine Art from the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee, where he won a scholarship to spend three months at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Over recent years he's established himself as a musician. After five solo albums and gigs, he has assembled his own band which released a debut album in April. They're at Brighouse Festival next month.

Roger, a self taught musician, got his break when a friend put a copy of his album Local Radio in the hands of Fairport Convention bass player Dave Pegg, who was so impressed he invited him to support the band's UK tour.

"I was self-taught," says Roger. "I only had a couple of lessons at a local music shop, it's not embedded in my family like most people on the folk and acoustic scene."

Live sessions and radio appearances have had critics describe his work as "compelling", telling stories of his life through music. He helped raise thousands of pounds for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal with his fundraising single Wear Your Poppy With Pride, and another of his tracks, 1,000 Tears, was the soundtrack to the West Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership’s Anti Drink Driving Campaign in 2014.

After a 15-year hiatus from painting to focus on music, Roger ‘took up the brush’ again last year. “I’m very fortunate to have such encouragement for my artwork from the Harrison Lord Gallery, I’m grateful for this opportunity,” he says. "My first exhibition there earlier this year was so well received. I hope as many local people come to see the new show, the pictures are of subjects they're bound to recognise.”

* Roger Davies’s art show runs through October. Visit harrisonlord.co.uk or rogerdaviesmusic.com/artwork

* Roger and his band are at St Martin’s Church, Brighouse, on Friday, October 12. Call (01484) 722462 or visit brighousefestival.co.uk