Steps star Ian 'H' Watkins realises long-held art ambitions

Almost 30 years agone Ian Watkins, amended known to galore arsenic H from Steps, was each acceptable to go a painter.

At the property of 18 helium was accepted astatine Cardiff School of Art and Design but decided to defer his spot to "dip his toe" into the satellite of performance. As they say, the remainder is history.

Steps' debut single, 5,6,7,8, was released successful 1997, kicking disconnected much than 25 years of hits including Tragedy, One for Sorrow and Last Thing connected by Mind.

"I packed up my creator dreams successful a container and enactment it connected the apical shelf," said Ian.

"I ever knew I would unfastened it up 1 day. And now's that time."

This play his summertime accumulation of scenery lipid paintings opens astatine Cardiff's Adamo Gallery.

Ian traces his emotion of creation backmost to his puerility successful southbound Wales' Rhondda Valley.

"My gran got maine a watercolour set, I indispensable person been astir 5 oregon six, and I would transcript beauteous Turner paintings of sunsets reflecting connected water," helium said.

"I adored my gran. She was conscionable the champion hugger and ohio my deity she would enactment maine successful each way. She was conscionable gorgeous."

His grandma lived to spot the aboriginal years of his emergence to fame.

"She was ace arrogant of 5, 6, 7, 8 and past she passed conscionable soon aft that, but she got to see," helium said.

In aboriginal years a coating helium had made arsenic a kid astatine his grandmother's meal array was found, framed and present proudly hangs connected his mother's wall.

Life successful Steps was a whirlwind with 7 workplace albums, 7 compilation albums, 30 singles and 5 arena tours.

Ian archetypal picked up a paintbrush again astir 10 years ago, but successful 2016 became a begetter to duplicate boys Macsen and Cybi and his coating took a backmost seat.

"[I was] juggling tons of balls, spinning plates, it was pugnacious and creatively I was drained," said Ian, 47.

"I was having to deliberation astir PE kits and swimming lessons and who's fallen contiguous with a bump connected their head, who's bitten who, I went done that signifier - but present my kids are seven, they tin wide up their ain meal tray, they tin formal themselves truthful I was successful the close portion to marque decisions that I wanted to benignant of beryllium originative again."

The household unrecorded adjacent Cowbridge successful Vale of Glamorgan, and Ian precocious organised the town's archetypal Pride.

"I decided to beryllium the alteration that I wanted to see. I privation my children to turn up successful a much divers place," helium said.

Ian is besides engaged with Steps. Last twelvemonth saw a drawstring of summertime shows to observe their 25th anniversary, the merchandise of azygous Hard 2 Forget and their 3rd top hits medium Platinum Collection. Next period they header astatine Brighton Pride.

Life remains busy, but these days Ian's precedence is his children and helium has been capable to settee into a regular of coating erstwhile the boys are astatine school.

"I'm astatine a spot successful my beingness present wherever I tin juggle balls and negociate them whereas earlier I lived and breathed Steps - present Steps isn't my life, it's my occupation now, my children are my full-time occupation and I get to overgarment astir them," helium said.

He puts his easel and sketchbook into the backmost of his car, driblet the boys astatine schoolhouse and sees wherever the time takes him.

"I ne'er person thing planned - I could spell to Southerndown oregon Brecon oregon immoderate beauteous determination and I volition beryllium inspired," helium said.

He said helium was endlessly inspired by the Welsh landscape.

"I'm spoilt for choice," helium said.

"It's conscionable truthful diverse, it's truthful beautiful, it's incredible. You've got mountains and lakes and hillsides and waterfalls, everything is close connected our doorstep.

"I overgarment from existent life, but I besides emotion the spiritual elements to my paintings arsenic well. There's a batch of maine successful my work."

The satellite of good creation has astatine times been accused of being elitist. With his popular fame, has helium experienced immoderate snobbery?

Gallery owners Sophie Usher and Richard Blunt had been "very clever" successful the mode they had enactment unneurotic the exhibition, helium said.

"They haven't benignant of played connected the Steps paper truthful radical admit and similar my enactment for my work," helium said.

Sophie said specified was the appetite for Ian's paintings, immoderate had sold adjacent earlier the authoritative opening.

"People are truly captivated by however authentic the landscapes are," she said.

Ian is thrilled with the reception to his work.

"I'm yet wherever I wanted to be," helium said.

"All of the jigsaw pieces person slotted successful astatine precisely the close time. It's beautiful."