A PAINTING of a Blaenau Gwent Community Support Officer has gone on display.

CSO Linzi Nicholls is a face many Brynmawr residents will recognise within the community.

As a result, the officer has been turned into a work of art that is now on display at Brynmawr Market Hall Cinema.

Local painter, James Chasteauneuf, who has lived in Brynmawr for 13 years explained: “I’ve painted various local people in the community for my exhibition, in particular, people who are easily recognisable.

“It’s great to capture the policing element, it was a good subject that is the heart of the community, Linzi is so active and recognisable.”

In her own time, CSO Nicholls sat for two hours for Mr Chasteauneuf to sketch her three dimensionally, photos were also taken and she returned several times while he completed the oil on canvas painting.

The painting isl now on display at the Brynmawr Market Hall Cinema for the community to pop in and take a closer look.

CSO

CSO Nicholls added: “I’ve been a CSO in Brynmawr for the last five years, it feels brilliant to have a painting of me in such a central place in the community.

“As soon as I saw James’ work I fell in love with it, he paints local people, a lot of them are well known to me and I feel privileged to join the many paintings in his exhibition.”