ART lovers gathered in the Link Centre library on Saturday to see the opening of a new exhibition.

Kenyan-born painter Angelo De Mello, 59, unveiled his latest works with a champagne toast in front of around two dozen admirers.

Mayor Eric Shaw cut the ribbon and those in attendance, all dazzled by the artwork on display, closely inspected the canvases.

Angelo, who lives in Oxford Road, said: “I stopped painting around 26 years ago and decided to start again in 2014 after my son urged me to get back into it.

“This is my first exhibition after a 26-year break and it feels wonderful to see my paintings hanging on the wall – I am very proud.”

Angelo’s paintings, vibrant and full of colour, depict landscapes in far-flung, exotic places – from the lush rain forest to a tropical waterfall.

“Most artists in this country only paint landscapes of the UK, so I decided to do something a bit more colourful that would bring life to your living room,” he said.

On display between 4:00pm and 6:00pm on Saturday were around 15 paintings featuring a mixture of oil colours and water colours.

The large canvasses measured 1m x 1.5m and there also featured a small selection painted by his daughter, Vanessa.

Angelo explained that the big ones can take anything between one and three years to paint, while other, smaller pieces can take around seven or eight months.

Mayor Eric Shaw said: “I am honoured to have been invited here today.

“I have not come across this art before but it is art that I like, so I will spend quite some time looking at the pictures.”

The paintings were not for sale, instead were there simply to be admired.

Asked if he had a favourite piece, Angelo replied: “When you finish painting them you think they are all nice, so it can be very difficult to pick a favourite. They all represent something different.”

Angelo’s next exhibition opens in July of next year at Swindon Central Library and he is already planning his showstopper – a painting depicting famous musicians throughout the ages.