#paintermans first encounter with #abstracto and #splatterman

Introduction
 
Many years ago a dark force arose threatening to destroy all traditional art  and replace it with only modern artwork. A hero was chosen by the Brush of Ages and Miles Palmer became the first Painterman. Having defeated his enemies order was restored and art continued to embrace all styles. Miles returned to his former life and  the memories of this time were forgotten.
With a new danger coming a new Hero is needed!
 
Real Name: Paul Robert Waterhouse
Alias: Painterman
Affiliation: The Keepers of the Canvas
Base of Operations: The Old Gallery, hidden beneath Manchester’s Northern Quarter
Origin Story:
Born in Salford, Paul Waterhouse grew up surrounded by the gritty charm of Lowry’s industrial landscapes. Inspired by the works of L.S. Lowry, Impressionist masters, and the bold modernism of David Hockney, Miles developed a reverence for traditional art from an early age.
As an art restorer working in the archives at Salford Museum and Art Gallery,  he uncovered a forgotten canvas containing a shimmering, ancient brush—The Brush of Ages. When he touched it, something changed. The paint surged into his veins, awakening a power that connected him to the spirit of all great artists.
Haunted by visions of a future overrun by soulless digital art and cultural decay, Paul took on a new identity: Painterman, protector of artistic tradition and creativity itself.

Signature Equipment:
🖌️ The Brush of Ages
A legendary brush imbued with the essence of the great painters. Painterman uses it to:
Animate Classic Art – Summoning living figures and scenes from famous works
Paint Constructs – Creating bridges, weapons, or shelters out of raw brushstrokes
Undo Damage – Restoring damaged structures, art, or even memories
🎨 Utility Belt of Chromatic Canisters
A custom-made belt lined with small, enchanted paint canisters, each with a unique effect:
Crimson Bolt – Red energy that blasts through barriers
Cerulean Shield – A defensive mist of calming blue
Verdant Vine – Green tendrils that grow and entangle enemies
Golden Glaze – Reveals hidden truth or forgery
Monochrome Mist – Temporarily silences digital interference with grayscale fog
Each canister can be snapped into the Brush of Ages for enhanced power or thrown like a flash capsule for instant effect.

🛡️ The Palette Shield
Strapped to his left forearm is The Palette Shield, a sturdy, curved painter’s palette made of enchanted wood and tempered glass.
Physical Defense – As strong as steel, able to deflect attacks
Chromatic Reflection – Can absorb a colour-based attack and reflect it back
Blend Mode – When spun, creates a whirling blur of colour that confuses enemies and hides his movements
Portable Canvas – Can be painted on directly with the Brush of Ages to create quick sketches that come to life

Powers and Abilities:
Brushstroke Animation – Summon and manipulate painted life
Impressionist Blur – Evade danger by smearing reality itself
Restoration Aura – Heal, preserve, or stabilize damaged people or places
Chromatic Combat – Tactical use of colour-themed paint canisters
Shieldmaster – Skilled with the Palette Shield in both defense and creative offense

Mission:
In a world overrun by mass-produced AI-generated images, visual noise, and soulless reproductions, Painterman fights to preserve the spirit of human creativity. His enemies include:
Abstracto, who hates all traditional art and leads a gang of similar villains
Splatterman, who admires Jackson Pollock and throws paint on traditional artwork.
M’Lady Monochrome, Dislikes colourful artwork and changes it to Black and White.
​
Painterman doesn’t reject modernity—he believes new art must grow from old roots. His mission is not only to protect the masterpieces of the past, but to inspire a new generation to learn from them.

Painterman battles those who threaten art’s soul. Whether it's the leader Abstracto, Splatterman or M’Lady Monochrome.
                     Painterman fights to remind the world that art is history, emotion, and identity.

Realising I was onto something I decided to research 'Painterman' and found the original superhero  from this old comic. It seems that this forgotten hero had accomplished his task and returned to his old life. Memories of his accomplishments long forgotten. But now in2025 is a new hero needed!

​Recently I was to attend a model making workshop and needed to decide what to make. I could not decide between a mythical beast, an animal or something similar. Then it struck me: why not create my own character? But who would it be?  Then it came to me in my dreams ‘Painterman’ the champion of traditional art. Once I started making him, I felt I was being guided by an unknown force and this model resulted. Unfortunately, as this was my first go at model making it was a bit crude in style, but did incorporate the essence of the character. What followed was a complete surprise to me!

On the day that we visited Valletta, the capital city of Malta, two cruise ships had docked in the harbour and at least two thousand people also decide to visit as well!
It was a very hot day and walking down the main street, with this many people. proved to be an unpleasant experience. Having to navigate our way along the road, it was a shame that we couldn't enjoy the architecture and views, so we decided to explore the less crowded side streets.
 This proved to be a wise choice and we could appreciate the city and be able to take in the beautiful buildings.

It was a very hot day though, and after a cold drink we were pleased to find The National Museum of Community Art, where we could view the artwork in  air conditioned rooms. 
An enjoyable hour was spent going from room to room although it seemed odd to view the more modern art work, before experiencing the older work. This would have been the other way round in most other galleries.

One thing we always like to do is explore the area near our hotel. On one walk, nearby, we came across a classic car on a street corner. I had read about the museum but the building didn't seem big enough to be a museum, especially one dedicated to classic cars!
Going down a small flight of stairs, we we surprised to find that the basement opened out into a huge area and we were soon exploring these beautiful machines. I can remember many of these cars being on the roads and even owned an MGB Gt for many years. As well as the nostalgia, it made me realise that many of them were  works of art, and not the mass produced vehicles often seen today.
An enjoyable couple of hours spent away from the heat.

Another interesting place that we  visited, near the hotel was the aquarium, which was a short walk along the sea front. This was another opportunity to for us to escape the  unexpected  heat.
Although, not as big as others we had visited, it was another fascinating insight into the  many types of fish that can be seen. Some are very colourful, and others ranged in size. We even  found Nemo and Dory!
There was a chance to design my own fish on computer (the one in the middle of the first picture) and we enjoyed walking under the  covered walkway, where the sharks lurked.

Not being great sunbathers anymore, it was nice to be able to explore the island. We also visited Mdina, The Silent City and took the ferry to Gozo, visiting the capital Victoria. For nostalgic reasons we took a bus ride to Mellieha Bay, where we stayed nearly forty years ago. It came as no surprise that it had changed quite a lot from the quiet beach we had known!
​As had Popeye village, which had been just a few partially built buildings originally used as the film set for the 1980 film, 'Popeye,' starring the late Robin Williams. It had been transformed into a complete village and had lots of activities for visitors to enjoy.