A GRANDFATHER who suffered a life-changing stroke has amazed family and friends with his artistic talent.

Tim McGee was a hard-working Housing Law Practitioner before sustaining the stroke which paralysed his right side six years ago.

The 62-year-old of Durham Road, Annfield Plain, Stanley, Co Durham, is now unable to speak and is confined to a wheelchair.

But since he was given a set of paintbrushes and water colours as a Christmas gift four years ago his artwork has flourished.

His paintings, a mix of landscape and portraits, are to be exhibited from Monday, February 18 to Sunday, February 24 at Stanley Civic Hall and will be on sale.

His wife Veronica, 64, said her husband had shown neither the talent nor the inclination to paint until after his stroke.

She said: “He was absorbed in his work. Before becoming a Housing Law Practitioner he and I were relief managers at a number of pubs, and we also ran the Archdeacon in Darlington for a while.

“He enjoyed the pub trade but the only thing he ever painted was the wall in our house.

“After Tim had the stroke everything changed. He would sit and watch TV all day.

“He had no quality of life.”

Four years ago Veronica and her daughter Penny and granddaughter Kirsty bought Tim the artistic tools for Christmas.

“His art came from nowhere. It amazed us how much detail he has put in his paintings," she said.

“He used to be right-handed, but lost the use of his right hand after the stroke.

“He taught himself to paint left handed.

“He paints from photographs. One of a horse has immense detail, others are landscapes, scenes of the countryside or the Northumberland coast.

“Tim is incredibly prolific and amazingly talented.”