THE blues have proved a colourful inspiration for Waterfoot artist Robert Ashley, whose spectacular oil paintings are on show in the gallery at Rossendale Museum, Whitaker Park, Rawtenstall.

Portraits of artists such as Janis Joplin, Miles Davis and Eric Clapton are included in the exhibition, which developed after he was asked to undertake a commission in 1999 to paint a portrait of John Coltrane.

Bob's work teaching at Accrington and Rossendale College as part of the mental health bridge project brings him into contact with addiction sufferers.

He said: "When I was asked to do the commission it started the blues thing off and I found out a lot of the blues artists suffered from addictions to drink and drugs." and it is something which interested me as a theme for a series of work."

Bob, 59, of Bridleway, worked as an engineer before deciding to follow his ambition of taking up art full time and he enrolled on a course at Burnley College and then completed a fine art degree at the University of Central Lancashire.

He has previously exhibited at a variety of venues in the north including Bradford, Liverpool an Rochdale and is a member of Globe Arts in Waterfoot and Aire Valley Artists.

Bob, 59, of Bridleway, is also taking part in the Year of the Artist at Rawtenstall Market, where he had created a giant 12ft by 7ft butterfly which has been installed on the roof above the flower stall.

Some of Bob's abstract art is included in the exhibition and sharing the gallery is James Hargreaves who uses hot wax and an iron to achieve an unusual variety of effects.

All but one of the works on show is for sale.