A West Cumbrian artist wants to help like-minded people display their artwork in his gallery – by making it bigger.

Craig Hamilton, 52, owns the Craig Hamilton Art, Tattoo and fine art gallery at 74 High Street, Cleator Moor and has applied for permission for a change of use in order to increase the size of the art gallery.

Mr Hamilton, who lives in Workington, has submitted a planning application to Copeland Council.

He would like two internal walls replaced to return the property into two separate buildings and change two domestic use rooms into more art gallery space.

He is also asking for a sign and light for the front of the gallery, on the end of terraced property.

The property was previously a dentist surgery, before Mr Hamilton bought the premises for a tattoo shop, art gallery and residential use.

Mr Hamilton said he wanted to expand the gallery tenfold.

This would give the gallery more space to hang artworks. And he added that he wanted to encourage other artists in the area to get involved too.

He said: “I would like to expand the gallery tenfold into an even bigger art gallery.

“I’m mega excited about it.

"I would like to have four or five guest artists exhibit.”

Mr Hamilton added that there was already one internal wall used as a gallery, but exhibition space needed to increase.

He is aiming for a July/August deadline and said he was really looking forward to the opportunities it would bring to the area.

He said: “There are a lot of good artists in the area.

"It will give them the opportunity to display and I am really keen to push it in West Cumbria.”

Mr Hamilton now wants more artists to get in touch with him, so they can bounce ideas off each other.

He said he would like to encourage a ‘family of artists’ in the area, to support each other, display their work and give a boost to West Cumbria.

Any artists interested in displaying at the gallery should get in touch with Mr Hamilton either by calling him on 07850 666841 or via his Facebook page at: Craig Hamilton Art.