Spirited away from his latest opening

12:25pm Friday 28th March 2008

Brian Shepherd is first and foremost an artist, but he has an alternative string to his bow which prevented him being present for the opening of his latest show, Cityscape, at Chenies Manor Pavilion Gallery on Easter Monday.

At short notice, Brian Shepherd, the medium, had been flown to Turin for the filming of a five-day live ghosthunting session with Living TV's Most Haunted team led by former Blue Peter presenter Yvette Fielding.

It is just one of many ghosthunting adventures Brian has shared with the paranormal investigative group since November as a regular guest medium.

He apologises: "I don't always get a lot of warning, so it is a bit difficult to plan other aspects of life at the moment."

The thought of this mild-mannered man spending days and nights in damp and dark places in pursuit of ghosts seems so odd it prompts a request for a screening.

Brian obliges. The flat screen on the wall in the breakfast room bursts into action as if to compete with the large, colourful image of Neal's Yard next to it.

The episode Brian has clicked on to is an investigation of Morecambe Winter Gardens - truly spooky stuff, impressively handled by Yvette and her team of experts.

The sense of Brian uncomfortably shuffling his feet brings us back to the breakfast room in Oxhey.

"I hate watching myself," he admits, but confirms that the filming is all genuine and that he is kept in the dark about details of where the programmes are to be filmed until he is picked up from the hotel and taken to the site.

As the screen turns back to black, Brian (the artist) smiles. "The show is great and it is the first time I have been that much involved," he says. "Painting is a lonely place and it gives a nice balance to work with a group of nice people making a popular television show."

Brian discovered his "perception" when he was 14. "When I was very young, I lived with my grandmother for three years. She came to live with us. Shortly after her death, she came back to me to make sure I was ok and well-adjusted," he says matter-of-factly.

As the years went by, it became obvious he could see things he couldn't explain and which eluded his friends.

"It is just a case of being perceptive enough to feel energy levels. I need to be tuned in and open my mind to see' things. It's not like I can walk down the street and see things you don't see," he smiles.

His career, initially as a commercial artist creating window displays for exclusive stores like Harrods and Harvey Nichols, is another colourful tale of the unexpected.

Somewhere along the line, he started to get commissions to decorate Harley Davidson motor cycles and guitars, reflecting his fascination with pop culture and the creative people involved in that art.

"But there comes a time when you have to do something for yourself as well," said the artist, who a few years ago started to paint cityscapes, catching "moments" in big city streets. The realistic romance of spotting and depicting areas of beauty and interest where least expected clearly appeals.

Cityscape by Brian Shepherd is open during public opening hours at Chenies Manor Pavilion Gallery from 2 to 5pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays. For further information about the artist, visit www.artinspire.co.uk

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