AN art exhibition opens in County Durham today.

Terry Culkin has worked as an art teacher in various schools across the region and was head of the art department at Parkside Comprehensive School, in Willington, for 20 years.

Now retired from teaching, Mr Culkin has focused on a diversity of commission-based work, including murals, portraits and stained glass. He also has an interest in delivering community arts workshops.

His latest pieces can be seen at Chester-le-Street Civic Centre.

Mr Culkin said: "For many years I have worked in the area of portraiture and much of my work contains portraits in one form or another.

"I spend a lot of time drawing in my sketchbooks. I favour pocket-sized ones that allow me to always have one handy because I am an avid sketcher. I have been known to work in my car during traffic jams.

"The work that I have done recently is diametrically opposed to this small-scale sketch work, as I have spent the past two years painting large murals in a converted chapel in Chester-le-Street, now a private house and home to some very good friends."

The work Mr Culkin is exhibiting ranges from a portrait completed in 1996 up to work undertaken this year.

The 1996 portrait of Victoria may already have been seen in Chester-le-Street Library, and was also featured at the Not the Turner Prize exhibition, in London.

Two pairs of portraits show mothers and daughters, while another two are based on Mr Culkin's son performing with his blues rock band.

Mr Culkin said: "I have purposely limited this exhibition to portraits to give a sense of continuity to my work and to better show the style of work that I like to do."

The exhibition until Friday, June 9.

Published: 02/05/2006