INSPIRED by the dramatic colours of the sea and skies he sees while at work, port worker Peter Miller has produced an exciting and vibrant set of paintings for an exhibition.

INSPIRED by the dramatic colours of the sea and skies he sees while at work, port worker Peter Miller has produced an exciting and vibrant set of paintings for an exhibition.

Father-of-three Mr Miller, a member of the mooring teams at Trinity Terminal at Felixstowe, sees breathtaking sunsets and sunrises while on shiftwork and turns them into art.

He paints in acrylics on glass - painting a mirror image on the reverse side of his glass canvas so it can be framed.

The stunning abstract images are of wonderful skies, with often just a hint of the landscape or riverscape, sometimes with a shadowy container ship on the horizon.

“I have only recently mastered the technique of painting on glass. Painting the other way round in a reverse image takes some getting used to, and you have to use the paint really thick,” said Mr Miller.

“I think the glass helps to get so much more light into the pictures, brings out the openness and space, and I am really pleased with the effect.”

Mr Miller, who lives with his children, aged 16, 14 and eight, and wife Stella in Felix Road, moved to the resort to from Tottenham five years ago to get away from London and enjoy a better quality of life.

“Living in London, you only see this small area of sky above you, hemmed in by the buildings all the time,” he said.

“Here in Suffolk, we have these huge skies - they are wonderful. When I work shifts I see the sunrise and sunset and the colours are marvellous, oranges and blues, and I just wanted to capture them in pictures.

“I do them as abstracts and it is interesting to see what people think because what people see in them varies from person to person.”

Mr Miller, who has exhibited at Art on the Prom in Felixstowe and also had small exhibitions in London, where he worked as a cameraman and film editor, said he works solidly when inspired.

“I cannot explain it really, but I suddenly have this need to paint - I just have to do it. I might finish several paintings in a few days and then not paint again for a while,” he said.

His previous work has included portraits, including some commissions, and wedding couples.

Peter Miller's exhibition Suffolk Skies will be at the Reunion Gallery, Gainsborough Road, Felixstowe, from April 17 to May 12.