AN ART gallery owner and former lighthouse keeper who crossed the pond is bringing a series of sea-inspired paintings to the county town.

Paul Copson started the Durngate Street in 1995, after a career as a lighthouse keeper at Portland Bill.

He went on to curate shows in London and 15 years ago moved to Nantucket, an island off Cape Code in America.

Paul said he is now looking to move his business back to Dorchester and was looking for an opportunity to put on an exhibition in the town again.

Since moving to its new premises at Brewery Square, Duke’s has been keen to use its gallery space as a public art venue so he contact long standing friend Garry Batt from the auction house.

Paul said: “I thought it would be a great opportunity to start showing in the town again again whilst looking for a gallery space and continuing to show in Nantucket.

“Duke’s have been incredibly supportive of the show.”

The exhibition will feature the work of Beccy Marshall, a painter from Mousehole in Cornwall whose work is inspired by the coastal landscape of her home county.

Paul said: “The sea is a common theme for the paintings I show in my gallery.

“Her work is very much of the Cornish coastline and her native Cornwall generally.

“ One of her greatest influences is the painter Alfred Wallace.

“I started showing her work in Nantucket about three years ago and she has been enormously successful there and I believe she will do well in this show.

“She has a very loyal following in Cornwall and I am looking to expand on her success there.”

Paul added: “She has painted a number of paintings of Portland Bill Lighthouse and so the show will have a Dorset element to it which I think will help it along and create some extra enthusiasm locally.”

Following a private viewing on the evening of Tuesday, May 10, the exhibition will run until Tuesday, May 24.

It will be open to the public from 10m to 5pm on weekdays and from 11am to 4pm on Saturdays.

For more information visit thomashenrygallery.com