Miles is a young, modern artist who was trained at Falmouth School of Art in 1985-86 then went to Norwich School of Art where he gained his BA. Hons in Fine Art. He has exhibited his work in Norwich and Rouen but then in 1989, decided to focus on his career as a musician and songwriter in London.

It was in 2006 that he decided to return to Cornwall, where he was brought up near Falmouth, but chose Penzance as his base. "I always thought I belonged in Penwith." says Miles. He has always been interested in painting buildings. In Norwich it was the Cathedral, in Cornwall it is the view of the buildings over the roofs of Morrab Road in Penzance where he lives. The sea is just visible and the headland further around Mounts Bay is also a recurring theme.

Miles paints on the spot, and his work is full of the spontaneity of the moment. The strong use of black outline in his paintings comes from his discipline of drawing. Miles successfully translates the expressive mark made in charcoal in his drawings into black outlines in his paintings. The palette Miles uses in these rooftop paintings is deliberately restricted. Deep Prussian Blue that is often seen in the sky, sea and granite buildings is a dominant colour. But he frequently contrasts this with a pale yellow which echoes the colours of the lichen that grows on the roof tiles.

Miles paintings have a vivid surface texture. When he uses it to describe the clouds that come in dark and heavy from the sea, they are full of expression and power. These are paintings that revel in the surface of the paint, and they are as much about the energy that has made them as the paint itself

Although views of known places, these paintings are not literal representations, if anything Miles is painting a series of symbols. For example a chimney stack with five chimneys on it, some of which are broken, echoes the shapes of a group of people, some tall some short.

Miles says his obsession is being outdoors, and has spent many days cycling around the Penwith landscape, drawing the rocks and hills that inspire him. Using thick charcoal and very soft pencils which create an intense black, Miles has produced some outstanding drawings of places such as Logan Rock and Lanyon Quoit.

An artist with his own unique approach and vision of Cornwall, Miles Heseltine is going to be a name to watch out for in the future.

Cath Wallace