TOEING the line has taken on a new meaning for a young artist whose "handiwork" now on show at the Regent Centre in Christchurch is actually produced with a pencil held in his right foot.

Craig Seabright, 34, from Southbourne, was studying for a fine art degree at Manchester Metropolitan University 10 years ago when a neck injury damaged the nerves in his right arm, leaving him in constant pain and with limited use of his hand.

To overcome the setback to his artistic career, Craig taught himself to hold a pencil between his toes and draw with his foot - a technique ideally suited to the sweeping scale of many of his pictures inspired by the Symbolists and Pre-Raphaelites.

As well as mystical, mythical scenes Craig is also a dab hand - or rather foot - at lightning sketches and portraits.

He says balancing on the other leg is the key to success and once mastered, painting with his foot has advantages in terms of perspective and sweep on larger canvasses.

While his disability forced Craig to give up teaching and art development voluntary work, he is still a prolific and passionate artist - "It keeps me from going completely insane," he said - and hopes to establish himself as a professional portrait artist.

His Myth and Moment exhibition, his second in the Regent Centre foyer gallery, is open daily until March 2 and features a range of his old and new works including some completed just days before the show opened.