JOE Inglis, Swindon’s TV vet, is set to take a break from his work with animals as he explores his other love – art.

When Joe, who still part-owns the Vet’s Klinic on Paddington Drive, mounted one of his sculptures in his kitchen, he knew that he was to follow in the footsteps of three generations of family artists.

That sculpture sat directly opposite a painting by his mother, Emily Pryor, and even though they were in different mediums he felt the similarity between them.

Joe, 43, said: “My house is full of pictures by my mother, grandmother and great grandmother - it’s nice to feel I’m continuing that tradition now.

“My great grandmother Gwen Raverat’s woodcuts are amazingly skilled and they’re wonderful pictures.

“We’ve got a few of her oil paintings too and you can see the same style and the lineage from her that continues through the family.”

Not content with sculpting solely for his own enjoyment, Joe is now set to display his work at his first full exhibition.

His metal human forms will be shown at the annual sculpture exhibition in the grounds of Charingworth Court in Winchcombe.

The torsos, some with two layers such as a body with a ragged shirt, will sit alongside the work of acclaimed sculptors including Max Patté, whose work is owned by Sir Ian McKellen.

“It will be amazing to see my pieces alongside all these wonderful sculptures at Charingworth Court,” said Joe.

“It’s very exciting but also slightly daunting to be putting them under public scrutiny.”

Of course, this will not be Joe’s first time in the public spotlight, he starred in the BBC television programme Vets in Practice during his veterinary training.

After qualifying, Joe opened Vet’s Klinic in Swindon - the building’s glass-fronted clinical area allows owners to see their pets being cared for – perhaps an early sign of his future artistic vision.

He started sculpting as a hobby, initially using stone to make a deer then exploring the properties of lead.

Now he is taking a breather from veterinary work and can usually be found sculpting in the garden of his Cotswolds home as soon as his children - Poppy, Owen and Emily - have gone to school.

“I’ve always had that creative urge and felt I should be doing something artistic,” added Joe.

“I started with a bit of old lead sheet that I bashed over trees to get the form of the tree. I was slowly filling the garden up with them.

“I’ve been suppressing my artistic side for 20 years but it’s always been there, now it’s come to the surface.”

More information about the Charingworth Court Sculpture Exhibition can be found at http://bit.ly/1XoT2D9