To many he is ?the voice? ? a man whose rich, distinctive delivery made him such a popular professional broadcaster for many years. But, as is so often the case with creative people, there are many facets to Al Seymour, Sr., one of which is that of a dedicated amateur artist.

So dedicated, in fact, that he has spent the last year preparing for what will be his third solo exhibition, this time as part of the Masterworks Foundation?s ?Artists-in-the-Garden? series, which opens this Friday.

In keeping with the Gallery?s preference for themed shows, Mr. Seymour has chosen ?Bermuda Moods? as his, and to that end has captured a variety of subjects in watercolours and oils ? everything from the little Hayden Chapel to florals, the serenity of a public park, and even people collecting shells on the beach.

?It is the mood of that picture that I like,? he says of the latter work. ?It is a large oil painting ? the biggest in the show, in fact.?

In portraying ?mood?, the artist combines both what he sees and what he feels on the day he paints, and says the process of preparing for a show is not unlike moviemaking.

?You wouldn?t expect to see every scene the same. I just like a beautiful moment. There is something about beautiful things that fascinates all artists. For example, I have a painting of a little barn in a backyard which is very simple and not very detailed.?

Working on location rather than from photographs ?makes all the difference? in capturing a mood, Mr. Seymour says, because he is better able to absorb ?the feel, the smell and the atmosphere? of his subject.

Not one to shy away from popular subjects beloved of so many artists, Mr. Seymour cites Somerset Bridge as an example of his return to it again and again.

?Every time I paint it I see something different. It is also an incredible part of Bermuda?s history.?

Certainly the artist?s chosen media of watercolours and oils are very different to work with, but that too is something he really enjoys.

?With watercolours you have to develop a rhythm and work very quickly because they dry so fast. You have to develop a relationship between you, the brush and the painting, and that takes time,? he says. ?With oils, they respect you if you respect them, and you can can get a lot out of them.?

Mr. Seymour?s interest in art began in early childhood, and as a student at the then-Central School (now Victor Scott) it even became his ?trademark?.

?I drew all over everything ? the backs, the fronts, the pages of my books. Without looking at the name, teachers knew right away that they were my books.?

Far from being chastised for ?defacing? his books, the eager student was encouraged to take his art further, as a result of which he also decorated blackboards in various classrooms.

Later on, he did a painting of the school for principal Edna Mae Scott, which hung in her home for many years, and may still do so today.

Admitting that, as a student he had ?the most terrible handwriting?, he chuckles when he recalls winning a penmanship prize, to the consternation of his fellow students.

?He must have drawn the letters,? Mrs. Scott was heard to say ? which he did.

Even when Mr. Seymour worked in the carpentry shop of the Cecil Frith Funeral Home after school, his thirst for drawing was unquenched ? and rewarded.

?I used to draw on the wood so much that they helped to enrol me in several art courses at the old Hamilton Hotel, where Byllee Lang was one of my instructors, and I benefited from those early efforts,? he recalls.

Following a short course at the Washington School of Art, Mr. Seymour accepted an offer to teach art at Robert Crawford and Sandys Secondary schools for two years before switching to broadcasting and journalism.

?But art was never off the burner,? he reminds.

Indeed, some years ago he won a merit award in an international poster competition. More recently, in 2000 he won a ?Best of Bermuda Gold? award for his series of illustrations for a TV documentary on slavery, and in 2001 was made a Fellow of the Masterworks Foundation.

For the past nine years Mr. Seymour has taught beginners? and intermediate art in the Warwick Community Education programme at Spice Valley, something he describes as ?a challenge?, and he also teaches art at the Co-Ed Facility.

?They are very, very attentive and take it seriously. It has been an enjoyable experience,? Mr. Seymour says of the latter.

?In fact, one of my students recently sold her work, which was nice.?

Meanwhile, the home-grown artist is looking forward to the opening of his newest exhibition, albeit with mixed emotions.

?You get very excited as the time draws nearer, but also a little nervous. It is challenging and I love to do it,? he says.

?When someone sees something in your work that moves them that makes it all worthwhile.?

As for the future, Mr. Seymour plans to ?just keep working and painting, and hopefully along the way others will share in that enjoyment?.

?Bermuda Moods? opens in Masterworks Foundation?s Rose Gallery in the Botanical Gardens, Paget on Friday, May 19 and continues through June 1. For further information ( 236-2950.