AN artist from Dunmow is still pinching himself after his first ever work was accepted and sold at this year s Royal Academy of Arts summer exhibition. Kevin Sweeney, a father of two from White Street, claimed he was stunned that his first two sculptures

AN artist from Dunmow is still pinching himself after his first ever work was accepted and sold at this year's Royal Academy of Arts summer exhibition.

Kevin Sweeney, a father of two from White Street, claimed he was stunned that his first two sculptures had been accepted by judges to be shown at the prestigious arts event, and that both pieces had sold.

"It sounds like a complete cliché, but it still hasn't really sunken in yet. These are the first two sculptures I have ever created and it was great to have them accepted. But when I heard that one had been sold on the private viewing day last Thursday, I was amazed.

"Then to be told that the other one had been sold on the opening Monday, I'm just speechless."

Mr Sweeney says the impetus for his art came after going through a rough time during which his wife asked him to leave their home shortly followed by the death of a close friend.

"I had all these feelings about the way people have an inability to care and how when you are down, you are on your own. No one seems to care and that's what my first piece of work is about. That's why I called it 'Caring'. It's a human thing. There's a feminine feel to it, but it's also sad."

His second sculpture, called 'Industrious', is about getting back on his feet and getting back working and functioning in life.

"It's about giving something back to people. You get so much more if you give something than if you take. If people could just give a little bit, the world would be a much better place to live," he explained, adding: "Industrious has a more masculine feel."

The family was completed by Mr Sweeney's third sculpture, an egg. This was short-listed by Royal Academy judges but did not make it into the final exhibition.

Seeing his art accepted in such a way has inspired Mr Sweeney to take his work further and he says he is filled with energy. "I now want to explore new areas such as chrome dipping," he said. "I'm also working with another artist called Steve Fogg who, as far as I know, is the only ultraviolet sprayer in Europe.

"We are creating 3D optical illusion art where dips look like they bulge out and a seemingly plain sphere, given a different light, can transform into something like the moon."

Mr Sweeney will be exhibiting work later in the year, including at the Flitch Gallery. He is also happy to accept commissions.

For more information, contact Kevin Sweeney on 07758 905287.