A talented Macclesfield artist has spent time during the pandemic brightening people's days, by drawing our local area.

These sketches include an idyllic view of Bollington looking up Beeston Brow.

Another shows an inviting illustration of the old Macclesfield Parkside Hospital, which highlights the beauty of the Grade II listed building.

A third image reveals a curvy stylised interpretation of Chestergate on Macclesfield's high street, as Maxonian's this month returned there in droves to support our local businesses.

Urban sketcher David Steeden (70), who has lived in Macclesfield for over 11 years, has attracted almost 25,000 followers on his Instagram @davidsteedenart.

"Since the start of lockdown I have gained over 16,000 followers," he said.

"In the past year I would like to think that people have become more interested in their own localities and gardens, both of which I portray in my own sketches.

"I consider my style to be an interpretive one, but remaining true to the subject.

"While at the same time capturing a moment in time and with unique personality."

David has been inundated with paid commissions since the first lockdown.

He has created over 1000 sketches in the last three years, with 500 of them being of Cheshire and the north west.

Some of his best performing posts include an idyllic view of Bollington's Palmerston Street, looking across to houses on Queen Street.

This post attracted over 3600 likes when posted on April 4 this year.

He has also sketched smaller settlements in our area like the Cheshire border town of Kettleshulme.

Using an eight inch square sketch book, he will take between 30 minutes to an hour to complete a piece of artwork.

He uses pen, ink or watercolour for his artwork on location.

David has painted all of his life, but has only been urban sketching since 2014.

Since that time, a group of local Maxonian artists have formed the Maccsketchers art collective.

They can be found on Facebook.

"Through sketching on location, you not only learn to appreciate the buildings we have but you also discover locations you would never otherwise see," he added.

"Sketching is all about the art of observation.

"Most people are used to looking at something, taking a photograph of something and moving on, without any real appreciation as to what it is they are capturing.

"Through sketching you look closely at objects, observe the finer details and learn to fully value what it is you have in front of you.

"We often tend to think that art begins with some act of imaginative creativity. It doesn't.

"It starts with the ability to observe, to listen and to notice.

"And as I say to anyone who asks me for advice, the answer is to practice, practice, practice."

David and his textile artist wife Margaret will both be exhibiting this autumn at Art Fair Cheshire, held at Macclesfield Old Town Hall.

You can follow David on Facebook or Instagram @davidsteedenart, where he can respond to commissions.

The cost can range from £50 for a simple sketch to £300 for a painting.

This depends on the size of the commission and the amount of research needed.

This Macc artist currently posts his stunning local artwork every day to his Instagram, and garners thousands of likes per photo.

David also sells a range of Transport cards available through this website.