Soldiers and artists may appear to occupy different worlds, but one Pemb-rokeshire serviceman is bridging the gap between the two.

Colour sergeant Barry John, of the 2 Battalion of the Royal Welsh, has exhibited a series of paintings at Exeter Castle as part of the War Art exhibition.

His ten paintings use art to create a bridge of understanding between Combat Related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CR-PTSD) sufferers and the community.

For C/Sgt Barry John, his paintings are a true reflection of his life in the forces, in which he has served for 20 years.

He said: “I just put my military career on the canvas. My experiences in Hong Kong, Jamaica, Korea, Germany and Northern Ireland have all contributed to my artwork.”

One of his paintings, City at Night with Riots, was inspired by his memories of the Belfast riots.

C/Sgt John added: “Through my work I want to show the diversity of a soldier’s career, but also experiment with art itself and what it stands for.

“My work is an important part of the journey of who I am and what art is. But it’s also an exploration of colour, texture, vibrancy, and the composition itself.”

Haverfordwest-born C/Sgt John, who was awarded an MBE last year for his service in the forces, served as an Army recruiting officer in Haverfordwest before going on to rejoin the Welsh Regiment in Tidworth, where he has been for 18 years.

Following his success at the Exeter exhibition, C/Sgt John has won the Armed Forces Art Society Templer Art Award, which he will receive on July 26th.

His work will also be displayed at the Leeds Armouries Museum in September and at Wiltshire’s Salisbury Museum in October.

Some of his paintings will also make their way to the National Army Museum and the Imperial War Museum in the near future.