Mine's a PAINT

Neal Keeling meets an artist inspired to paint after life-threatening diagnosis

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(KENNY BROWN)

MICHAEL Ashcroft is a glass half-full kind of bloke. For him, 2025 was a tough year.

But like he did nearly three decades ago when his life was in the balance, he “cracked on”.

Last year he required radiotherapy to destroy a tumour at the top of his spine, and it led to frightening episodes months later where he was left gasping for breath.

His response as an artist with an international reputation and glorious down-to-earth Lancashire grit, humour, and wisdom was to create more paintings. And with a touch of genius, he turned the tired concept of “dry January” on its head.

Michael has done a series of mini oil paintings depicting pints of beer and Guinness he has seen in pubs and bars across Manchester and elsewhere. He plans to do 31 - one for every day of the month.

His art gives him a resilience he has needed since 1998.

Michael, originally from Croston near Chorley, was 28 and had been living with excruciating headaches since his teens.

A scan revealed the cause a tumour the size of a tangerine deep behind his left ear.