The artist formerly known as Vic Reeves is mobbed at Harrogate launch of stunning new art collection

Talking to the Harrogate Advertiser at RedHouse gallery where Birdland, his dazzling new collection of paintings of birds, is open now and will run for just 11 more days, Moir opened up about his road to art.

"I fell into comedy when I was first in London at college and doing art but I always saw it as performance art,” said Moir, still as mischievous and charming at the age of 65.

"In all my years with Bob Mortimer I never thought what we were doing was stand-up comedy.

"In fact, I’ve never been to see a stand-up comic.”

Following the success of Painting Birds With Jim And Nancy on Sky Arts, Moir’s new exhibition features 58 paintings on his favourite subject.

Lovely watercolour portraits of warblers and black caps on the ground floor are contrasted upstairs with more extravagant oil paintings of birdlife on colourful, more abstract backgrounds.

Whether delicate or wild, the brushwork is confident, the work full of character and life reflecting, perhaps, Jim’s own lifeforce.

Even when steeped in detail, the end result never lies flat or forensic.

In Moir’s hands, these are birds which can fly.

No wonder Chris Packham said: “Jim doesn’t just see birds, he looks at them so intensely he understands them."

Birdland by Jim Moir runs at RedHouse gallery, 15 Cheltenham Mount, Harrogate until Saturday, September 28.