Fruits of my labour

Sep 6 2007 By Catherine Lillington, Birmingham Mail

A BIRMINGHAM artist has captured two favourite shops on canvas as a salute to the oldfashioned grocery store.

Colin Carruthers created the works of art, which show a cornucopia of fruit and veg outside shops in Rowheath Road, Cotteridge, and Mary Vale Road, Bournville.

The paintings have now gone on show at the Purple Gallery, in Mary Vale Road, which Colin runs with his wife Jane.

Colin, aged 44, said: "I wanted to celebrate these shops that were still in business. There is this community feel to them.

"We've had an amazing response from people coming in to see these paintings.

"The owners have come over and are really delighted."

Derek and Pauline Hughes have run their corner shop in Rowheath Road for 43 years.

Regular customer Gordon Walker described 71-year-old Derek as "the Arkwright of Cotteridge" - he even has the same mechanical till.

Gordon, aged 59, of Watford Road, said: "Nothing's too much trouble. I gave them a shopping list one day which had an item on it I wasn't intending to buy from here but they went out and bought it for me."

Paul Leverton, of Leverton & Halls, in Mary Vale Road, said he was thinking about buying the oil painting.

He said: "I love the impressionist style

"Colin's a fantastic artist and has hit on quite a nice little idea of painting local stores."

The exhibition also features work from Bournville Art College tutor Terence Clarke, plus Birmingham artists Louis Parsons and Victor Linehan among others. It runs until September 29.