Anyway you look at it, Dunavin Nisbett's life would be the envy of no one.

A year after he was born in 1962, he was placed in foster care at the Brangman Home, and remained there until he was 19, when he became too old to stay on.

With nowhere to go, Mr. Nisbett became a street person, sleeping in doorways, abandoned houses, cars, boats, caves, and even on the rocks. Sometimes, in a desperate effort to shelter from the weather, he would take refuge where he shouldn't have: on people's porches, and in schools and churches, and end up in trouble.

The "good times" were at Westgate, where a roof over his head, a bed, and three meals a day became a welcome respite from his bleak existence.

Then there were the drugs 32 years worth, to be exact marijuana, heroin and cocaine.

With just three years of schooling to his name, Mr. Nisbett was also illiterate and still is. And yet, amid all the turmoil and negativity of the seemingly hopeless vortex that was his life, there was always this one kernel within him which has finally led to a whole new, drug-free world, although he is still looking for a permanent home.

Its name is 'art', of which the first seeds of interest were sown during his all-too-brief schooldays, when his grandmother took him to art classes, where he learned to crayon and finger paint. All he remembers now is that it was somewhere in Paget, the teacher's name was Elizabeth Spencer, and she taught him how to paint clouds with his fingers, and rocks with a palette knife. While he has no idea what happened to her, Mr. Nisbett remembers her encouragement, and feels her style of painting is very much alive in his work today.

Years later, Lester Harnett, his art teacher at Westgate, would not only dig up and foster those long-forgotten seeds of artistic talent from Mr. Nesbitt's childhood, but also encourage him to nurture them in the prison's art classes. In fact, Mr. Harnett even bought one of his paintings, and spent many years thereafter trying to find the artist.

Today, from the worst imaginable beginnings and lifestyle, a remarkably talented artist has finally emerged, and a very proud one at that, who rejoices in the opening of his solo exhibition in the Rick Faries Gallery of the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art this evening.

For Mr. Nesbitt, painting has become a way of expressing all those grim life experiences, and turning them into something beautiful and positive.

I'll have a picture in my head of, say, Mangrove Bay, and what it looked like," he says. "Painting is my way of escaping from that reality, and it makes me feel better."

In fact, painting takes Mr. Nisbett back to a sense of security and connectedness.

In terms of subject matter, 'Old Bermuda' interests the artist because he enjoys being able to show young people what the Island looked like back then. He is particularly intrigued by 18th and 19th century Bermuda pictures because they give him a sense of how the Island once was; how Bermudians had to struggle during that time; and how they have changed over the past two centuries.

"I try to picture how people survived back then with so little. I guess that's because my life has always been about survival. I think that's why I'm so inspired by 'Old Bermuda'," Mr. Nisbett says.

However, he points out that the term 'Old Bermuda' does not necessarily have to be about one or two centuries ago, but rather anything which reminds him of his early childhood days when his life was not so grim.

Asked how he feels about having a solo show at Masterworks, the clearly delighted artist responds: "It's like a dream come true. I want to share my work with everyone!"

Released from jail in June this year, drug-free and painting every day, Mr. Nisbett is quick to pay tribute to the many people whose support, care and concern have brought him to this new beginning. They include Sandy Butterfield and Dion Richardson of Focus Counselling Services, Lester Harnett, his art teacher at Westgate, probation officer Gina Spinicelli, and "most of all, God Almighty".

"I wouldn't be where I am today without them," he says. "I thank the counsellors at Focus Counselling Services for assisting me in maintaining sobriety, and staying focused on my art work. Kate Waters and Suzanne Hooper at Masterworks have been really kind to me, and are really interested in my work and my life history. They believe in me …so then I believe in myself.

Floating on a new high this time of h

The last word, however, belongs to Ms Spinicelli."Dunavin Nesbitt's work is beautiful, inspiring, and uniquely him. I am hopeful that the community will come and support him, and appreciate Bermuda through his eyes."

Tonight's opening reception is from 5.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. All are welcome. The exhibition continues through October 28.