An aspiring artist currently receiving inpatient mental health support in Bury has spoken of how he feels he is in "seventh heaven" when he paints.

David is a patient at Cygnet Bury Hudson, where he was admitted following a mental health breakdown while in prison.

Before being introduced to painting by the staff, David had no previous experience with expressing himself through the arts.

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"I found my love of painting by chance," he said.

"A member of staff gave me some acrylic paint and some canvasses and told me to express myself.

"I was taken aback.

"I didn’t think I’d get recognised as a painter.

"After I’d finished my piece, I was congratulated on it."

(Image: Cygnet)

David is a service user on Upper East Ward, a 13-bed ward offering a low secure service for men with mental illness.

According to him, painting takes him to a peaceful state of mind.

He said: "When I’m working on a new painting, I go into a zone where it’s all peaceful and calm and collected.

"Four hours can pass and I’ve not noticed the time at all.

"I’ve been in seventh heaven."

David’s unique style of painting was initially a 'splash work', which he said "expressed my state of mind".

He said: "The work was very violent and destructive.

"Now my journey is such that I’ve come through that dark time into a brighter one with a more positive future, which you see in my painting of late."

David's artwork is displayed throughout the wards and staff offices of the hospital.

Some staff and other service users have even purchased his artwork to take home.

Describing his paintings as “beautiful, brilliant and expressive”, ward manager Mirriam Ssenyonio said: "David loves to paint and he’s very proud of his artwork.

“He likes to show people what he has done and you can see how happy it makes him."

Thanking the team at Bury for their encouragement, he said: “They have been immensely supportive.

"They’ve supplied me with paint and canvasses and opportunities to explore my mind."

The Cygnet Bury Hudson, located on Buller Street, is a 187-bed hospital providing numerous mental health services for men, women, and adolescents.

To hear more about David's story, visit https://vimeo.com/984358253.