Pictures by Victoria Anderson
Sir Paul McCartney returned to Liverpool to launch his first major painting exhibition at the city's Walker art gallery on until August 4th.
Housed in the newly refurbished special exhibition wing, "The Art of Paul McCartney" displays some 70 paintings from the artist's private collection, and a small number of sculptures.
Looking relaxed and casual in a denim jacket and sandals, the ex-Beatle recalled the times he spent in the gallery as a teenager with John Lennon, and said that to have his art on show at the Walker was "a great honour".
The exhibition falls into three general categories of landscapes, portraits and abstracts and is a mixture of previously seen works - such as the well-known "Big Mountain Face" - with new, unseen pieces, some dedicated to fiancée Heather Mills.
The paintings are dominated by his use of vibrant colour and themes include famous friends, family, his Irish roots and favourite places. Sculptures, such as "Large Cheetah", are inspired by natural forms of wood collected from beaches. Most recently, he has been working with digital photography, as on the pixelated "Larry King Live II".
It was his late wife Linda - the subject of three of the more intimate paintings on display - who encouraged Sir Paul to start painting when he was 40. Until then, he says, he "didn't dare", believing that artists could only be a product of art school. In the twenty years since, he has produced over 600 canvases.
McCartney's mischievous sense of fun, and a distinct Sergeant Pepper-psychedelic 1960s feel is apparent in a great deal of his work, which he does not urge critics to over-analyse. "I just like the colours, and the space and the freedom," he explained.
There are two special exhibitions at the Walker at the moment: "The Art of Paul McCartney" and "Turner's Journeys of the Imagination" are open to the public together for a single charge of £3 (£2 concessions).
Paul McCartney's work is not for sale, as he has modestly professed that he doesn't need the money.
