ARTIST Gordon Dickinson has never been one to do things the conventional way.

And so for the rest of this month he will be exhibiting his work, called Retrospective, in a letting agent's office in Commercial Road.

Its walls, desks, and any spare spaces have been filled with an array of modern art, which represents work done over a period of 10 years by the former railway apprentice and coach builder.

Recalling his time in the town's railworks, Gordon, 48, remembers men who had been there all their working lives, their body shapes indented into their seats.

He left the railworks to become a carpenter and double-glazing installer, all the while following his passion for the arts in his spare time.

"If I could not express myself through art, it was as if someone had tied my hands," he said. "Even though I was forced to do my art on the side, really it was at the centre of my life.

"Art led to the break-up of my marriage and I ended up penniless.

"In 2000, when I had barely enough money to get myself a pint, a surprise buyer paid £250 for one of my paintings and I knew I had to go on. Art had won!"

Now Gordon lives in Purton with his partner Toni Robinson, and together they run No Added Sugar, a highly successful educational arts project that works with schools and sets out to transform the lives of youngsters.

Gordon believes in the restorative power of art and reckons it can make life more meaningful for children, especially those who have been marginalised.

A selection of his work, which includes paintings, sculptures, and mixed media installations, can be seen at Belgravia Lettings, 69 Commercial Road.

For further information about the exhibition, call 01793 431112.