THEY are some of the area's most popular and well known male artists.

So when Colchester's Chris Wenlock discovered his work was going to sit alongside the likes of James Dodds, John Doubleday, Ian Hay, Charles Debenham and Mick Smee, he couldn't quite believe it.

"These guys are my heroes," he laughs. "Honestly when I saw the list I really did have to pinch myself."

And then things got better.

"If being in this show wasn't enough I then got sent the invitation," he grins, "and what do I find on the front. One of my paintings. I mean all these incredible painters taking part and she chooses mine."

The exhibition in question is Essex Men Artists at the Hayletts Gallery in Maldon, which follows on from a Essex Women Artists show they had their last year.

Born in Wivenhoe, and now living in the centre of Colchester, Chris spent most of his life in Maldon. It's also special because that's where his family drapers business was situated for many years.

It was also the place where Chris had his biggest and most successful one man show to date, again at the Hayletts.

He adds: "When I was growing up all I ever wanted to do was be a painter but I had to do it the hard way by going to evening classes.

"Then I found this all day art class and I used to take Wednesdays off to go to it. Jean Sunderland ran it and I learnt so much from it."

But then the family business took over and starting up a family so Chris vowed that when he did finally retire, five years ago, he would make sure he painted every day for the rest of his life.

And he has.

"I've always painted in oils," he tells me, "right from the early days and it's normally landscapes, although that has changed from rolling fields to reed beds and derelict buildings.

"There are five pieces in the current show, three new and two left over from my one man show there. That was quite a shock too because when you start painting you never really know whether people are going to like them or buy them for that matter."

But they did and still do.

"I had a couple of paintings in the Colchester Art Society's exhibition last summer," he continues, "which naturally I was very pleased with so when they told me they had sold one, I was absolutely delighted."

Essex Men Artists runs at the Hayletts Gallery, High Street, Maldon, until September 2. For more information go to www.haylettsgallery.com