Bermuda’s Mr Happy, Johnny Barnes, has said he is thrilled to have inspired an exciting new art movement that has gone global.

His morning “I love you” to commuters arriving in Hamilton prompted a London artist to cover the streets of the English capital in colourful logos carrying the catchphrase.

The “iloveyouiloveyou” project has now gone global with stickers of the catchphrase appearing in countries as far a field as Australia, China and even Sri Lanka.

The artist behind the movement, who has asked to remain anonymous, lived in Bermuda for nearly six years.

He says he was inspired to launch the project in April because of his fond memories of Johnny Barnes waving at him as he drove to work in the morning.

“God gives us all something to do. God has a plan for each one of us and we have to find out what that plan is,” Mr Barnes told The Royal Gazette.

“I’m just a light shining to brighten someone’s journey across life’s highway.

“I’ve never been interested in art, but art is beautiful. Art is a wonderful thing.”

He added: “The world is starving for the want of L-O-V-E.

“If we could only learn to live as one big, happy family, what a beautiful world this could be.”

A total of 18 billboards showing the message have been scattered across London with the help of advertising firm Ocean Outdoor. A further 24 billboards across the UK have also carried the catchphrase in recent months.

The artist himself has also sent out around 500 seven-inch stickers with the same logo design to members of the public across the world who have requested them through social media.

Images of where the stickers have been put have then been shared on the “iloveyouiloveyou” Instagram account.

Speaking with The Royal Gazette from London the artist said the “iloveyouiloveyou” project had gathered a momentum all of its own.

He added: “The idea really came from Johnny Barnes and my time in Bermuda. It always gave me a lift in the morning seeing him and this is my way of doing the same here. It’s all about trying to make people smile and feel a bit better.

“In cities especially we don’t have the same sense of community as Bermuda and it’s been great to see the way the message has spread across London but also the world now.

“There is no real logic to it, it’s something quirky that hopefully will make a few people smile.”

•The artwork can be found on the website: www.iloveyouiloveyou.co.uk