Images of death and destruction in Ukraine remain fresh in the mind of Ripon man Lewis Edwards.

Now he is expressing his feelings through art, to help him come to terms with the terrifying turmoil of the Russian invasion that turned his life and the lives of millions of others, upside down.

Mr Edwards, a former student of Ripon Grammar School who studied contemporary art at Leeds Met (now Leeds Beckett University), has created paintings on a series of panels. They provide an insight into the impact the war has had on the people of Ukraine, as well as the Russian army.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“When I arrived back in the UK with my partner, Tanya, earlier this year, I went through the process of thinking about what happened to us and what we witnessed as we fled to the safety of Slovakia.

“I then decided to turn these thoughts into paintings, including one that I have called Still (a) Life which tells the story of our rapid departure from our home, with food left uneaten on our table.”

Minska Metro

Another canvas captures scenes from the Minska Metro in Kyiv, where Mr Edwards and his Ukrainian partner stayed on the eve of their perilous 500-kilometre journey to Slovakia.

Once they were safely over the border, they set up a shelter to help fellow refugees. The humanitarian venture was made possible through £20,000 raised in Ripon from charity events and a GoFundMe page set up by the Edwards family.

Mr Edwards is planning to exhibit his work and has already made arrangements for the paintings to go on show at the Slung Low community arts hub in Leeds.

He said:

“I would very much like to put on an exhibition in the Ripon area if I can find a suitable location.”

Mr Edwards can be contacted via his Instagram account eye.fly.art

A Harrogate charity has held an exhibition to showcase the artistic work of its disabled learners.

Disability Action Yorkshire staged the event last month at its Hornbeam Park training centre.

The exhibition included art and photographs by 14 students based on the theme of heraldry and quiet places.

Students designed coats of arms reflecting their personalities and shot images of quiet places.

Harriet Walker, the charity’s deputy training manager, said:

“We were delighted to have held our first ever photography and art exhibition, which demonstrated the creativity of our learners.

For the last few months, they had been working on the theme of heraldic art and quiet places, which they captured on paper and in ‘megapixels’.

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Founded 84 years ago, Disability Action Yorkshire helps disabled people live the life of their choosing.

It has headquarters and a training centre on Hornbeam Park, a residential care home on Claro Road, and a holiday lodge in Lincolnshire.

Guy Tweedy, who joined Disability Action Yorkshire board of trustees last month said:

“During the short time I’ve been a trustee with the charity, I’ve also met staff and customers at its Claro Road care home and have been incredibly impressed by the dedication of all involved.”

The photo shows (left to right) disability learner Ian, Disability Action Yorkshire trustee Guy Tweedy, disability learners Emma and Charles, and Disability Action Yorkshire staff member Sammi.