Barry Nub News aims to support our community, promoting shops, businesses, charities, clubs and sports groups.

We will be profiling some of these businesses and organisations in a feature called 'Up Close in Barry'.

Today we meet artist Malcolm Murphy, whose paintings of Barry Island captured everyone's attention on social media, to learn more about his work

Malcolm's paintings of Barry Island were hugely popular when they were shared on social media, getting over 100 likes on Twitter and almost 140 likes on Facebook.

As well as fine oil painting, Malcolm works as a signwriter and theming artist, painting funfair rides, theme parks and vehicles.

When asked how he got into painting, Malcolm described how graffiti and hip-hop were how he got his start.

"I got started with aerosol cans, and we got into it through the hip-hop movement," said Malcolm.

"I was a good dancer. We saw this breakdance movement on the telly, and copied that aged about 14 or 15, and along with that was this graffiti.

"We'd save up our dinner money, about £1 a day. On Saturday we found discontiued aerosol cans in Newport Market, for cars.

"Me, Martin and Riddler got into that and started doing drawings. We called ourselves 'The Clash of Styles'.

"We'd sneak out the house in the early hours of the morning dress in all black to paint derelict walls.

"We'd design it first, a big 'awesome' or 'wicked' Wild Style font style. You could barely read it, that's the style.

"There was a white wall over what was Splott swimming baths and we set out to write 'Clash of Styles' and that was the night we got caught because it was a commercial building," he said.

But if Malcolm and his friends hadn't had been caught that night, his career path would have been different.

"I went to Willows High School and the police informed the school. The punishment was that we had to wash it all off," said Malcolm.

"I wasn't good in school, because I can't spell but I was drawing on people's books.

"My form tutor said he knew a gentleman called David March in Penarth where they do traditional hand painted signs. He said 'you can go there every Friday from school as work experience'.

"I was 16 then, so I'd get the bus to Penarth and sweep the floor and make the tea in this sign shop.

"David took me under his wing and taught me the trade," he said.

Over the next 12 years Malcolm honed his craft as a traditional sign painter and writer. He described the fast-paced workload and how he was able to develop his skills.

"It was pubs galore back then and the company had a contract with Whitbread Wales. That kept me busy for years," he said.

"It was real commercial art and I was doing three a week, six sides. You had to get it done in one day.

"You learn how to paint because it's got to get done. You've got to find the visual and it's got to look good."

It was only after a trip to Cardiff Museum with friend and designer Mark Grandon when he considered fine art.

"I saw a John Constable painting that reminded me of the pub pictures because of the flat brush work. I thought I could do that," said Malcolm.

"So, I got some oil paints and got a print from a magazine of Constable's work and started copying his work. I didn't think anything of it.

"It went hand-in-hand, I had the brushes but I just changed from enamel paints to oil.

"The copies looked really cool, so I started doing my own. From spraying a wall to sign painting, to the museum trip."

Malcolm's painting that captured our eyes online is called 'Barry Island Pleasure Walk' and depicts a kiosk on Barry Island. He took the photo for the work at the end of the first lockdown.

"It's a snapshot, a moment in time. I like to capture that," he said.