PAINTINGS featuring people of the North-East set against a backdrop of heavy industry are forming part of a forthcoming exhibition.

Consett artist Phil Bartle has captured scenes of everyday life from his hometown in a collection of works entitled Red Dust.

The 54-year-old grew up in the shadow of the steelworks during the 60s and 70s and his work is a colourful illustration of his memories.

Mr Bartle, of The Avenue, said: “Industry is in the background, as it always was during the era that I am painting, but I have not focussed on that.

“I have called it Red Dust because the steelworks was always there and everywhere you went you got covered in red dust. The paintings, though, are just about everyday life.”

The father-of-two has captured a range of aspects of life during the period, including everyday things such as going to work, sitting in a cafe and watching the Steelmen play football on a Saturday afternoon.

Some of the pictures show children using outdoor urinals in the yard at St Patrick’s Primary School, where he was a pupil, and playing football with his pals in the back streets of terraced houses.

Another shows memories of Consett’s Irish community singing in a pub while other drinkers seem oblivious to the sing song.

Mr Bartle, who recently retired from his work as a graphic designer for a Newcastle-based company, said: “Every single piece I have done is something I can remember or something that has happened to me.

“Some of them are slightly exaggerated because you have to add humour in. “Sometimes I alter them slightly to make it a little more interesting, but predominantly they are based on the truth.”

Mr Bartle, who never worked at the steelworks and trained as a painter and decorator after leaving St Bede’s in Lanchester, has been working on the project for around two years and has completed around 30 pictures using water colours, marker pens and acrylics.

He plans to do around ten more and has been showing his collection on his Red Dust Facebook page.

He said: “They are my memories and they are personal to me. That is why I think people identify with them.

“I have had really good feedback, people say: ‘that could have been me’ or ‘I was there’.

His work is for sale with prints costing £25-45 and originals priced at £150-£250.

His exhibition will be at Consett Library on October 27 and run for two weeks.

To contact Mr Bartle call him on 0774 548 9668, philbartle01@gmail.com or search for Red Dust on Facebook.