THE work of an artist who lived in Potters Bar for 56 years will go on show at

Harrow Arts Centre from the beginning of December.

Entitled Landscapes and Works of the Imagination, it showcases the work of the late esteemed artist Leo Gibbons Smith, who died in 2014, aged 95.

The exhibition is set to showcase just how complete and engaging an artist he truly was. Included in the exhibition is a locally-based painting, Farm In Essendon, as well as images that portray his love of travelling through Wales, notably the stunning Sheep in South Wales.

Despite having begun his career in engineering, Leo was, from a young age, passionate about drawing.

On returning from his training with the RAF, during which time he designed posters

for local dances and produced sketches to much acclaim, he decided to leave the force

and started his studies at Hornsey Art College.

Over the course of a career which involved stints in typography, design and illustration as well as working in art editorial for the Radio Times, Leo maintained his passion for drawing and painting, and on retiring from the BBC, he devoted himself to working with various prestigious art societies.

The perfect accompaniment to this was his love of travel, particularly around Wales, where he would spend his time painting landscapes. Often commissioned as a portraitist, he was known for experimenting with various approaches, subject matters and mediums.

His work was regularly sold through prominent London art venues including the Mall Gallery and Westminster Central Hall and has also been shown at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, the New English Art Club and at the Edinburgh Festival.

He was also president of the Herts Visual Arts Forum and the United Society of Artists, as well as being director of the Federation of British Artists.

He once said: “My inner and outer vision moulded by professional experience is now providing an exciting landscape of the mind, so wide and so deep that it will require at least another lifetime to explore it.”

Landscapes and Works of the Imagination, Harrow Arts Centre, Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, December 1-22, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, Saturday, 10am-3pm. Details: 020 8416 8989, harrowarts.com