Talented young painter treats villagers to his landscape art

Charlie Swales first started drawing when he was four years old with his dad, Keith, 37, and his talent has now developed into acrylic painting.

Proud mum Lindsey, 34, said Charlie spends hours with paint brush in hand in the family's conservatory - which has been converted into his own art room.

Charlie, who is a Year 5 pupil at Stanton Community Primary School, has even been delivering his work around the village, near Bury St Edmunds, following requests.

Charlie first started drawing with his dad when he was four years old (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Lindsey said: "He started drawing with his dad when he was about four. Then he started getting into painting and so we got him all the equipment that he wanted, and he really took to it.

"He does a lot of art work at school, they've put him into competitions and things.

"He can do a painting in about half an hour when you're just standing there watching him. He watches a lot of tutorials from Bob Ross, and he's really taken to doing landscapes.

"He loves to paint for friends and then their dads ask for it, and the elderly and he loves knocking on their doors taking it round to them and seeing them happy. He absolutely loves it."

Charlie drew dad Keith for Father's Day. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Charlie is also a keen footballer, which is quite the contrast from the serenity of his art room.

The youngster stars for Walsham Warriors, and has recently started playing for Bury Town and the Puma Academy.

"He's like one extreme to the other," Lindsey said.

"One minute he's out on the football pitch tearing around, and then he's sitting down with his paint brush in hand doing all this fine detail. It's completely different ends of the spectrum. It's crazy."

Some of Charlie's art work (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Lindsey said budding painter Charlie is keen on a career in art as he grows up.

"If he can't be a professional footballer then he definitely wants to do that," Lindsey added.