A 63-year-old artist who uses art to help cope with mental illness is displaying his work in Warrington town centre.

Paul Larkin, who was first diagnosed with a mental illness at 18, uses art to help him cope after many struggles maintaining it, as well as a history of drug abuse.

“My life spiralled out of control, I had nowhere to live, I lost contacts with the people around me who were important to me,” he said.

When he was younger, Paul started to hear voices, known as auditory hallucinations, and suffered a breakdown.

“The experiences I was having did not feel very nice and I found adjusting to everyday life difficult and had a constant feeling of not feeling right, for several years,” he said.

In 1987, while he was in prison, Paul was approached by the Chaplain who asked if he would like to ty painting.

“This was a pinnacle time in my life that changed my ability to cope with the voices and my ability to manage my mental health needs,” said Paul.

“I have now been painting since that day and I use acrylic paints, charcoal, pencils and oil pastels as my tools for producing artwork.

“My biggest inspiration is American rock guitarist, Jimi Hendrix, and I have created almost five thousand art pieces that feature him.”

Paul now believes that art has changed his life, allowing him to find a healthy way to cope.

“I am very passionate and consider art as the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said.

“I use art as a way to help me manage the voices in my head, so if I am experiencing voices, I will take myself off to my apartment and paint, but this is now a less traumatic experience for me because I am able to channel my thoughts into the artwork.”

The 63-year-old now lives in a supported living scheme provided by Next Stage - A Way Forward in Warrington with his wife Silvia.

His artwork is currently on display at the Gateway until August 2 and is available to view from 10am until 2pm.

“I believe that everyone should work creatively, especially if diagnosed with mental illness because it is fantastic for occupying the mind, relieving stress and improving general mental health,” said Paul.

“If I was able to give my younger self some words of advice, I would have told myself to stay away from drugs and find something that you are good at and enjoy life.”