Troy Landy and Milton Hill are poised to make their debut as first-time exhibitors in the Masterworks Foundation?s ?Artists Up Front....Street? series this weekend . Understandably delighted at the prospect, they have spent months preparing for the event.

The two know each other well, and have previously exhibited together at ?Summerhaven?, where Mr. Landy lives and Mr. Hill is a service coordinator who assists him with aspects of daily living. It is from this professional association that their artistic friendship has developed.

Mr. Landy is an artist whose medium is acrylic, and Mr. Hill is a carver who works mainly in cedar, with a particular focus on model yachts and fitted dinghies. A former boat builder who learned his trade as a young man from well-known shipwrights Rhodes Ratteray, Raymond DeShields and Clifford Lee, Mr. Hill saw in the 1960s and ?70s that the building wooden boats was ?a dying art? here, thanks to the influence of fibreglass, so he decided to build model boats instead. So good did he prove, in fact, that his son suggested he build them for sale.

?The first ten were sold to Bluck?s, and then it just grew to about nine or ten vendors taking them on consignment,? Mr. Hill says. ?Since then I have progressed to doing fitted dinghies and other boats to scale. When my son Wali was here he made the small parts for me, but now I am more organised and do everything myself in my spare time.?

Mr. Landy was always interested in drawing as a child, but had never painted. Then came the tragic hit-and-run accident at the age of 17 which left him a quadriplegic with limited use of his hands. During his five years of rehabilitation at the Shiner?s Hospital in Philadelphia, his artistic talents were rediscovered and nurtured. It was there that he first discovered painting, and before he left he even had an exhibition of his work, which attracted public and media attention.

After returning to Bermuda, however, he was preoccupied with socialising with friends and family again, and did not paint for about five years. Eventually moving into ?Summerhaven?, where he tried to get on with his life, there were times when he was bored and longed for something interesting to do. It was on one of these ?down? days just four years ago, in a conversation with his ex-wife in Germany, that she made a suggestion which would change his life completely.

?My wheelchair had broken down, and I told her I was just sitting here bored, and she said, ?Why don?t you just draw a picture of me?? ? Mr. Landy says. ?So I picked up a pencil and a sketch pad and did just that. Then I said, ?Maybe I should put some colour on this,? and I haven?t put my paint brushes down since.?

When Mr. Hill saw the artist?s work he was surprised at its quality.

?He had no idea I had all these artistic talents, and he suggested we have a show together,? Mr. Landy says. It was then that the artist discovered just how multi-talented the man who assists with his physical care at ?Summerhaven? was. Not only does he carve boats in minute detail in cedar, but also other things, like dolphins, elephants, Chinese, Egyptian and African artefacts, pendants, and reliefs in a variety of other materials, including bone and mother-of-pearl. He even made a Samurai sword out of old steel from a Bermuda carriage. For this exhibition he has also created something entirely different, details of which will only be revealed at the opening.

?Hilton never ceases to amaze me,? Mr. Landy says. ?He is such an amazing man.?

During the duo?s first, successful exhibition at ?Summerhaven? , Tom Butterfield, director of Masterworks, was so impressed that he insisted they become part of the ?Artists Up Front...Street? 2004 series, and from that day forward Mr. Landy has worked on improving his art.

?The quality of my work has just grown, and I am getting better because I learn from the previous painting what I can do to improve,? he says. ?I haven?t been to art school, but I have great people behind me, like the Governor and Lady Vereker, and my good friend and mentor Sheilagh Head. Their support gives me the enthusiasm to just want to paint and create better subject matter.?

The artist reveals that Lady Vereker was also his very first customer.

?She bought my painting of St. David?s lighthouse as a birthday surprise for her husband,? Mr. Landy says proudly. ?I keep that close to my heart. It is such a good feeling to know that one of my works hangs in Government House.?

Certainly, the couple have been unstinting in their encouragement of his emerging talent, and the artist has also had the pleasure of being invited to certain events at Government House.

?I just love Lady Vereker. She is always interested in knowing what I have done, and she gives me inspiration to work. I get a lot of enthusiasm from her advice to just push on,? he says. ?In fact, I have to thank both she and Sir John for their support.?

Similarly, Mr. Landy is deeply appreciative of Mrs. Head?s constant help and professional support.

?Sheilagh is a genuine person who not only keeps me enthused but also is always there for me when it comes to anything art related,? he says. ?She doesn?t tell me how to paint because she doesn?t want to take away from my style; she says I?m the artist and it is entirely up to me. Sometimes I go with what she says and sometimes I leave (the painting the way it is) depending on how I feel. I can take advice, but I don?t want to end up painting like someone else because then it would not be ?Troy Landy, Shattered Colours?, which is my company.?

Company? Yes, in addition to painting original canvases Mr. Landy has also had prints made of some of them which he sells at such venues as Harbour Nights, and which are proving popular.

Others to whom the artist is indebted for their encouragement and invaluable assistance are: Troy Simons and the Fort Knox staff who have created a website for him (www.fkbnet.bm and click on ?about us?); ?Summerhaven? administrator Mrs. Ianthia Wade, for keeping him focused and providing invaluable assistance; Trott and Duncan for helping with supplies; Mr. Hill for making easels, beautiful cedar frames for his paintings, and countless other kindnesses; and his mother Imogene Landy, for her unfailing support leading up to the Masterworks exhibition.

Mr. Landy?s art is all the more impressive because, due to his disabilities, he cannot work at a slanted easel but on his lap. Canvases 14 inches by 18 inches fit nicely between the arms of his wheelchair, larger ones cause problems because he cannot reach the outer areas without turning the canvases around, which means he must paint ?upside down?. To hold a brush, he must first grasp it in his mouth and then weave it between his fingers, yet he paints in meticulous detail.

Mr. Landy?s subject matter is as varied as his palette, and includes landscapes, flora and fauna, and portraits, which he paints from photographs. He is proud to note that, following his last exhibition with Mr. Hill, his paintings found their way to Australia, Germany and England ? something that has given him ?a great feeling?.

Best of all, perhaps, this emerging artist is very upbeat about his future.

?The sky?s the limit for me,? he smiles. ?Just look out for ?Shattered Colours?. I?m coming at you.?

The exhibition continues through April 15. For further information see the Bermuda Calendar. To contact the exhibitors, e-mail Mr. Hill at milton_t_hillhotmail.com and Mr. Landy at shatteredcolourshotmail.com or telephone them at 292-9114 and 293-7897 respectively.