An artist inspired by mythology and the natural world has transformed sheep skulls with a burst of colour into vibrant pieces of art. Stephen Rae, from Ulverston, is a contemporary artist whose vivid and colourful pieces are inspired by his travels across Africa and Asia. Mr Rae, who is also the Bard of Cumberland and a co-founder of Bardsea-Green Films, has a particular interest in folklore and history, deriving from his childhood growing up in south Ayrshire where his grandfather would recount tales of the sea people, witches and cannibals. A self-taught artist until his early 30s, Mr Rae had previously worked in botanical and agricultural science before studying fine art at Cumbria Institute of the Arts in Carlisle and later became ordained as a Buddhist monk for a few years studying Buddhist philosophy.