A TALENTED actor and singer, inspired chef, photographer ? in every sense of the word, Richard Fell is an artist.

But nowhere is his talent more frequently seen than in the creative displays which grace the windows of A.S. Cooper & Sons Ltd. Often stunning, frequently colourful, most definitely original, Mr. Fell's designs have helped lure customers into the main store and its branch shops since 1991.

"I started in England working for a private company in their art studio," he explained. "I did my training there and then went to work in an interior design studio for a few years."

Bermuda beckoned, however, and Mr. Fell accepted a creative position with one of the island's larger retail stores ? a post he held for many years before moving to A.S. Cooper & Sons Ltd.

"They're a wonderful company to work for," he said of his present employer. "I'm very lucky. It's a family business in the true sense of the word; they truly care about their staff."

That Cooper's is supportive of the arts also endeared Mr. Fell to the company.

"It's my greatest love. If I had my druthers, that would be my life; the stage. But I'm fortunate in that my everyday job ? the thing that puts the bread on the table and pays the rent ? is artistic and something that I love."

Mr. Fell began acting at the age of 18 and has since participated in "everything from Shakespeare to grand opera to comedy to farce".

He studied at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and in New York at Circle in the Square Theatre School on Broadway. In England, the British Broadcasting Corporation sought out his talents. Locally, his is a familiar face onstage. His resum? includes performances with the Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society, the Gilbert & Sullivan Society and the Jabulani Repertory Company. He was named Best Thespian and presented with two of magazine's Bermuda Gold Awards for his roles in the highly-acclaimed productions ? and .

"I draw a great deal of inspiration for the visual arts from the performing arts," he explained. "I just came back from New York where I saw quite a few Broadway shows. I draw inspiration from all sorts of places ? if I see something on stage that is appealing or colourful, I look at other people's work, whether it's a small boutique on Madison Avenue or one of the large department stores on Fifth Avenue.

"I can be watching television, I can be walking down the street, I can be in the most unlikely place and something will spark an idea and I'll think, 'Wow, that would really transfer to a window or an interior display.'

"It's the same with travel. I was in Morocco this year; I went to India a couple of years ago. Just the colour and the whole ambience of the place is incredibly inspiring to me as an artist."

As display director, Mr. Fell is responsible for the main store, Cooper's Men's store and Cooper's Cachet as well as the company's branch and hotel shops.

"We have six windows in the main store, and two in our new Men's store on Front Street. The rest (of the work I do) mainly involves the interiors. Each store has its own personality. What I try and do is make sure there is a constant, fresh look in each one."

The theme of each window is changed once a month although the merchandise sometimes more frequently, the designer explained. Once a theme has been decided on, the display merchandise is chosen after careful consultation with the store's buyers and merchandise director.

most challenging time of the year for inspired design was the period between Christmas and spring when merchandise was on sale and the store prepared for its inventory of stock, he said. For the remainder of the year, however, the store's design was dictated by the more celebrated events ? Easter, Father's Day, Mother's Day and Cup Match.

"Cooper's gives me a pretty free rein and I work with good people, but physically, it's a one-man show which at times is very stressful and very strenuous. Sometimes it's very frustrating. Especially at Christmas when (window displays are) all variations on that one theme. You can't think of an idea; you think it's all been done before. And then you'll see a new fashion trend or a new trend in men's wear which is inspiring."

The creative guru awoke to one of his worst nightmares a few weeks ago ? a telephone call informing him that the store's Front Street window displays were on fire.

"I was woken at 4.30 in the morning to be told (they) had gone up in flames," he said. "By the time I got here, at about 5 o'clock, they were completely gutted. My first thought was: 'Thank God it didn't spread to the rest of the store' and my second: 'Thank God we didn't have the Christmas display up yet'."

The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical fault and, despite Mr. Fell's fear that Cooper's Front Street windows would showcase nothing but ash over the Christmas period, repairs were made in a matter of days.

"It was a nightmare," he explained, "But I've never seen people move so fast in my life. In three days, we were ready to go."

The windows were completed just in time to make the switch to this year's Christmas theme ? one far removed from last year's concept of a winter wonderland replete with ice, snow and Jack Frost.

"This year, to get away from that we decided on Cooper's Christmas Carnival. I love colour. I love co-ordinating colours; working with different colour combinations such as the fuschia and bright orange that we have this Christmas in the windows on Front Street.

"I'd seen a carnival in Venice; and carnivals are held around the world at this time of year ? albeit in the form of a fair or a circus ? as an attraction for children. My aim is always to choose something that's appealing to children or extremely colourful. And I think we succeeded."

to Mr. Fell, the question most frequently asked of him at Christmas is whether or not he transforms his home into a wonderland of his own design.

"Not at all. I'm very lucky that I'm doing a job that I enjoy and get a reasonable amount of freedom but by the time I've done nine stores and the main store, all the interiors, the windows, I really cannot be bothered to put a tree up.

"I do, however, have a beautiful Italian Nativity set, a huge collection of angels and lots of candles."