They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder but for award-winning local artist, Greg Martin Vale, he believes you have to have the “eye” to see it.

Greg loves how art can transport the viewer and cannot believe somebody like Edvard Munch spent his whole life putting paint to canvas without anybody buying it.

“I don’t know how he would have felt doing that because he just kept churning them out all the time,” Greg said.

“He’s the rock star of the art world.

“We use Munch’s ‘The Scream’ as an emoji every day!”

For Martin Vale’s upcoming exhibition at The Old Fire Station in Kiama, he will be exhibiting around 30 pieces with the main theme of “Celebrating Colour”.

“They don’t have to be anything quite specific – I just love colour,” he said.

“I like to be able to sort of see something in a gallery and think, oh, that would look fabulous in some part of a house.

“I’ve also just started celebrating Old India.”

He is exhibiting other pieces of work that are images of the Taj Mahal and the Pepper Tree on Shoalhaven Street.

“All those little tiles are in the Taj Mahal. I haven’t been there, but I happen to know from a friend who’s kept me informed,” he said.

Greg said it was a common misconception that people needed to travel for inspiration.

“I really don’t need to leave Kiama for inspiration,” he said.

“There is enough going on here, early in the morning, late in the afternoon, the light of that time of day is absolutely fantastic – especially in the middle of winter.

“I actually like to observe things at eye level. The water is no different to where we used to live in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs – it’s just the same water.”

For those looking to add Greg’s colourful pieces of work to their own walls, you will need to be quick as the ‘dots’ [which signal they are sold] begin to appear quickly.

Check out his exhibition from 24-29 October at The Old Fire Station in Kiama.