A new collection of paintings celebrating summertime in the Bay of Plenty by Graham Young is on show from Friday evening at The Art Lounge NZ in downtown Tauranga.

Born in England, Graham has lived in New Zealand since 1982. Originally trained as a photolithographer, he had a long career in the design and print industry, which also included running his own design and prepress studio.

Graham returned to concentrate on his first love of oil painting in the early 2000s. He has exhibited widely in New Zealand with his paintings gaining recognition, making their way into collections both here and overseas, including Australia, USA and the UK, with his adopted home remaining his primary inspiration.

'Using vibrant colour and detail has built my reputation for creating realistic paintings that capture the familiar, yet often overlooked scenes found throughout New Zealand,” says Graham.

'My work represents snapshots of the laid back Kiwi lifestyle from coastal beach to suburban and rural scenes.

'I am also focusing on signposts of the past with the old vehicles and caravans that have given pleasurable memories to our lives as they get swept away by the rate of modern progress. The human imprint on the landscape is a vital part of my work.”

Graham also has two books of paintings, published by New Holland.

‘Lazy Days', his first book, has over 70 images of paintings featured in full colour. In this book Graham aimed to capture the essence of the quintessential Kiwi lifestyle of beach, bach and boat and forays to the corner dairy.

Published by New Holland in 2014, it's an ideal gift for lovers of the Kiwi lifestyle and visitors alike, with 108 pages.

Graham's second book ‘New Zealand A Painted Journey', also 108 pages, is about the artist's journeys around New Zealand in search of inspiring places and features to paint. He starts off in the South Island with the big sky country of Central Otago, then up the West Coast to Nelson.

Over to the North Island exploring the rugged coastline of Taranaki and finally travelling around the Auckland region to finish beside the stunning beaches of Northland.

With over 48 images of paintings in full colour, this is Graham's painted journey and was published by New Holland in 2018.

Eight stunning works in Graham's ‘Summer in the Bay' exhibition will be on show and for sale in the gallery from 5pm Saturday, December 16, until the gallery closes its doors for a well-deserved summer break from December 24 until January 11.