AN artist and popular hairdresser from Weymouth has been painting unique gifts to surprise people around the globe during lockdown.

Stephen Bithell, who has worked as a hairdresser in Weymouth since the 1990s - including at the former Blondz salon, and, more recently, Pure in St Mary Street - has turned his hand to sending surprise watercolour postcards around the world.

Dorset Echo:

Father-of-two Stephen, who attended the former Bournemouth and Poole College of Art before becoming a hairdresser, has been painting and drawing all his life from as early as he can remember and has held exhibitions in the town.

Mr Bithell said he has been fascinated with postcards since childhood, when his father was posted abroad with the Royal Navy and would send postcards home from all over the world.

His Dorset landscapes have now followed the same path and have been sent as far away as Canada, America, Japan, Singapore, South Africa and Australia, as well as in Weymouth and across the UK.

Dorset Echo:

Explaining how it all started, Stephen said: "During the first lockdown my parents, who live in Weymouth, went into self-isolation, so the kids and I sent them watercolour postcards that we'd painted.

"I usually paint in oils but was quite pleased with the results so I shared them on Facebook, and a couple of people got in contact and asked if they could pay me to send postcards to their families too.

"I just replied and said 'no you won't pay me - but if you want me to send a postcard on your behalf then I will.'"

Dorset Echo:

Stephen said he has now sent around 370 hand painted postcards since the start of the pandemic, and described the experience as "incredibly humbling."

"It's interesting because people won't just say 'can you do one for my mum' - it's 'can you you do one for my mum because...'.".

The postcards have cheered up NHS staff, key workers, war veterans, and older people who have been trapped in their homes since the start of the pandemic and who haven't seen loved ones for months.

Dorset Echo:

"The stories behind some of them - I've involuntarily wept while painting," Stephen admitted. "Sometimes you'll end up painting a picture inspired by that person's back story.

"I'm just doing it to hopefully make somebody smile - but the generosity has been astonishing - you get a letter in the post with some money for the stamp, and people posting me postcards in return.

"I definitely didn't do this to get a slap on the back - it's just about human kindness - I will continue do it until people stop asking me to send them."