AN OVER 50s art class that helped its founder deal with grief is back up and running after a successful relaunch.

The group in Potters Court care home, Greater Leys, met again on Thursday under the skilled instruction of Grant Waters, an art teacher from Abingdon and Witney College.

Participants were put through their paces in basket making, clay modelling and painting and drawing techniques in the first session held for more than a year of the estate's therapeutic art class.

They were tasked with drawing pictures of a tree to practice mixing colours and capturing different perspectives.

Potters Court resident Andrew Cherrie, 77, has worked to relaunch the group which was first created in the supported-housing development in 2013 and is open to all.

Mr Cherrie said he was pleased at the interest shown since he announced plans to re-launch the group in the Oxford Mail earlier this year.

He said: "It was really good to be back.

"Regular art classes was something we all missed when they were not running.

"You learn so much more than doing these things on your own and it was a really good sociable atmosphere."

Mr Cherrie, an ex-carpenter, took up art as way of dealing with the grief he felt after the death of his wife of 47 years, Catherine, in 2009.

He had only drawn technical diagrams before as part of his work but, with the help of the group, gradually branched out into water colours and pastels.

He has relaunched the art classes with the help of housing manager, Amy Hibberd, and the Leys Community Development Initiative's Clockhouse project.

Mr Cherrie said he has had to put some of his own money into buying materials and is appealing for local businesses to get involved by donating money or equipment to help keep the classes, which currently cost £1, affordable.

He added: "It's a very worthwhile initiative that brings people together and helps them gain new skills and enjoy life.

"I hope some businesses will see the worth in it and want to get involved with sponsoring us.

"It doesn't take very much money to help us go a long way but we've spent the little money we had already."

The art classes will run every other Thursday. Call Mr Cherrie on 01865 770521.