'Facebook helped me bring colour to kids in hospital'

As a young boy, Adam Salisbury was obsessed with the Thomas the Tank Engine mural at his local hospital.

Anytime he had to go there - for a broken arm, or visiting other family members - he remembers making his mum take him to see it.

A budding young artist, Adam said he would dream of having the chance to do his own painting there one day.

Three decades on, Thomas the Tank Engine may no longer adorn the walls Blackpool's Victoria Hospital, but Adam's dream has well and truly come true, having painted almost 30 of the building's walls with his own masterpieces - and videos of the artwork has been viewed millions of times on social media.

Adam, 37, said he was "proud as punch" to bring "colour, calm and hope to places that need it most" including a mural of a Blackpool tram dedicated to his beloved grandad who encouraged him to follow his artistic ambitions.

Adam's talents were spotted at a young age - with his first teacher telling his mum he was going to be a great artist.

His grandfather, Robert Worthington - who he said was always making things out of wood and sketching but never pursued art as a career - would constantly buy him new paints and brushes.

He said his mum, Maureen, would encourage him, too, and when she was decorating his room she would leave lining paper on his wall and let him paint over it.

"As a young boy I painted dinosaurs, Goofy and even a Tasmanian devil - whatever I was into," he said.

He went to art college but while he would get distinctions for his artwork, he said he struggled with the academic side of the course and just scraped a pass.

When his first son was born, he put his art on hold and followed a career in retail, becoming a supermarket manager.

However, in 2015 everything changed when he posted a video on Facebook of him painting dinosaurs in his son's bedroom.

It got more than a thousand likes, but more importantly so many positive comments it "lit a fire inside me" and he decided to chase his dreams.

He painted a mural at a gym and got jobs painting murals in bedrooms which he also put on social media, and "it snowballed", he said.

A video capturing a Harry Potter painting Adam was commissioned to do for a child's bedroom blew up on TikTok in 2018 and was shared millions of times - helping him quickly gain about 500,000 followers.

The following year, a video on Facebook documenting his Beauty and the Beast painting in a girl's bedroom in 2019 was spotted by a nurse who invited him to showcase his artwork in Victoria Hospital.

He has had five commissions to do work at the hospital since then, funded by the Blue Skies Charity, which enhances patient care at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The Blackpool tram painting is very special to him as it is dedicated to his grandad who died the day after his 19th birthday - and also depicts his beloved hometown.

My grandad told me: "Your talents are in your hands and you are going to change the world."

Janet Barnsley from Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which runs Victoria Hospital praised Adam's vibrant transformation to spaces across the site.

"Being in hospital can sometimes be a daunting experience, and these artworks help to create more welcoming environments."

Nicci Hayes, from the Blue Skies charity, added it was "incredibly proud" of the impact that Adam's murals have had across the hospital - and the joy they have brought.

"Art plays such a vital role in transforming clinical environments into warm, welcoming spaces that truly lift the spirits of our patients, visitors, and staff."

Adam is also a sought after tattooist after deciding to train as one to help fund his canvases and murals.

He travelled to Bolton to do his apprenticeship with renowned tattooist Danny Robinson, star of MTV's Just Tattoo Of Us.

In 2023, he opened his own studio The Inked Artist in Cleveleys where he splits his time between tattooing and creating artwork.

Videos he has shared of canvases he has created of celebrities have also gained lots of traction on social media such as a painting of darts sensation Luke Littler, US actor Will Smith and rapper Eminem.

Adam said when Smith - one of his favourite actors - shared his video in 2021, it was one of the best days of his life.

He is desperate to get the one of Eminem signed by the 8 Mile star - and would then auction it for a charity of the superstar's choice.

"I don't want money," he said. "I just want to do good and bring colour to people's lives."

His work not only makes him happy - but it also helped the dad of two find love.

He said he was blessed to meet his now wife, Sade, when she messaged him to say she liked his artwork.

"Doing what I love brought a love to me.

"I believe in doing good, good will come back to you," he said.

His ultimate dream now is to inspire the next generation by opening a not-for-profit art foundation one day in Blackpool.

He said he loves his life and does not regret quitting his job in retail.

"From being told I'd never make it… to creating art that lives in places where people need hope the most."

He urged anyone with a similar dream to "never stop believing in your vision".

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