A GENEROUS Gourock artist stands to raise more than £1,500 for the NHS with the auction of a prized work.

Professional landscape painter Kevin Hunter started putting oil on canvas to create A New Dawn Over Loch Lomond a couple of months ago and finished it on 17 April.

The following morning, he opened an auction for the painting on his website - and was overwhelmed by the response.

Bids gathered momentum and the most recent one of £1,500 brushed past the competition.

Kevin, who lives in St Andrews Drive, doesn't have a target figure in mind and says he just wants his work to raise as much as possible for people who are isolated at this tough time.

The money from the highest bidder, along with other donations, will go towards buying toiletries, games and crossword puzzle books for people who can't see their family while they're in hospital due to coronavirus restrictions.

Kevin, 48, said: "I have friends and family who work for the NHS and the stories that you hear are horrific.

"I have a sister-in-law who is a GP and one who is a nurse.

"I just wanted to do something to help people with what they're going through and to try to put a smile on their faces.

"I chose to paint Loch Lomond as it's iconic for Scotland.

"People know it from all over the world."

Kevin, who paints landscapes and abstract landscapes in oils, started out in the craft when he was 14 and became a full-time professional artist 10 years ago.

He's making sure he continues to paint in lockdown and has been buoyed by seeing an increasing number of people choosing to pick up a paintbrush.

He said: "It's been great to see so many people taking up painting in lockdown - I think everybody should paint.

"I find it therapeutic.

"When you're painting, your work can look terrible for so long but then the paint starts to come together and that point is the best bit about it for me.

"Scotland is an artist's heaven - there's so much beautiful scenery right here on our doorstep and we sometimes take it a bit for granted."

A New Dawn Over Loch Lomond is 24 x 20 inches (61 x 51 cm) and sits on 1.5 inch (3.8 cm) pine stretcher bars.

Kevin has now added an option to donate for those who don't want to bid.

The auction will close on Sunday.

To bid or to donate visit www.kevinhunterartgallery.com