A renowned artist has seen a huge success on the opening of his latest exhibition, with a great turn out and more than half the collection sold on the first day.

Barrow artist John Duffin may have relocated to Greenwich in London, but his creative work still reflects his love for his home town. Mr Duffin's exhibition Northern Skies: Barrow and Beyond opened on Saturday  and attracted crowds of locals and bank holiday visitors to The Dock Museum where it was displayed.

The showcase was opened by John Woodcock, the Barrow and Furness MP, who has been very supportive of Mr Duffin's work. Mr Duffin said: "Mr Woodcock gave a fantastic speech, I was very pleased that he agreed to open the exhibition. 

"I think his favourite pieces of work that were in the exhibition were those of Walney channel and the coastal views of Barrow, as they really represent the coastal industry in our town. I know Mr Woodcock is a big supporter of that and it's a subject that is close to his heart.

"The reception I got for all of the paintings was fantastic and I think that is because they reflect a lot of the civic pride Furness residents feel when they think about their home."

The exhibition is Mr Duffin's fifth he has displayed at the Dock Museum and he was thrilled to sell over half of his work on the opening day. The pieces ranged in price from £175-£1,000 and although Mr Duffin sells a lot of his work for higher prices in London, he loves seeing his paintings going to local owners. 

He said: "I can charge much higher prices for my work in London but I always want to make them affordable in my home town because people really appreciate them up here. They are often of places and landscapes that people are sentimental or reminiscent about."

Mr Duffin explained that a percentage of his exhibition portrays places in Barrow and the surrounding area that are no longer there but are fixtures in his own memory and by painting them he hopes to trigger fond memories for other people too. 

He said: "Abbey Baths and Earthquakes Records, Marsh's drinks, Grain and Grape bar, the White Lion pub and the "Barrow Rule the Third" graffiti are examples of pieces that no longer exist. However they are still familiar land marks to many people. They may not be physically there but they still exist in collective memory and are important to locals."

Despite being busy working on upcoming exhibitions in Leeds, London and Dorset, as well as a large painting commission for a collector in New York, Mr Duffin still makes time for regular visits home to paint the town he grew up in. 

Mr Duffin has found that his exhibitions are a draw for other former Barrow and Furness residents who have perhaps moved away. He is always happy to engage with residents from Barrow and the surrounding area and gets many commissions from people who have moved away but still love the town where they grew up.

The exhibition runs until July 28 at the Dock Museum, in Barrow, and admission is free.