Mr Oz - a former cycling professional - met current British world touring car champion Andy Priaulx to ask him to sign his impression of the sports star's BMW. He plans to donate all proceeds from its sale to brain injury charity Headway.

And the 32-year-old is also looking forward to the launch of his first solo exhibition, Fingertips Tour, this weekend. The collection will feature the work up for auction as well as paintings of the architecture, history and atmosphere he has observed in and around Leamington.

He said: "It's going to be really exciting - something new for me. There is so much energy around Leamington - everyone is doing something or going somewhere. Everyone walks past all the amazing art and architecture in the town without stopping to look at it."

Born in Leamington, Mr Oz studied design at A-level and engineering at university, but moved away from the artistic scene for 14 years before getting back into it recently. Having lived in Herefordshire for some time, his move back to his birthplace triggered a new stage in his life.

He said: "I moved into a new apartment in Leamington and was looking for some artwork for the walls. Looking in all the art shops, my wife and I kept thinking - I could do that."

Mr Oz ran his own cycling team for which he designed the clothing, and they were Welsh champions in 2005. He likes to transmit his energetic personality through his artwork - and he does not use brushes at all, the pallet knife being his chief painting implement.

He explained: "I have always messed around with a few different techniques. I like looking at things in terms of how they are constructed.

"I don't like it in a painting when you can see the brush strokes because you can see how it was made - I like people to wonder how it was done.

"Some of the textures are really three-dimensional. Every stroke is something I have put there, rather than something put there by accident."

q Fingertips Tour will be launched at Warwick Studios Art Lounge in Warwick Street on Sunday from 1pm to 3pm. The event is invite-only but anyone interested in attending should contact Mr Oz on 07841 130428.

Alternatively, contact David Sands at Warwick Studios on 423529.

www.pauloz.co.uk