HE’S an artist who intricately creates his paintings, yet is unable to see the finished picture.

Geoff Macdonald is registered blind and in opposition to his deteriorating eyesight he took up art when he was forced to quit work.

Now he’s made a name for himself in the art world and his work has been described as “remarkable” – for Geoff paints in small grids and can never actually see his finished painting.

You can see the artist’s work when it goes on view at the AC Gallery tomorrow, Saturday.

Mike Baggs, director of AC Gallery, in Byram Street, Huddersfield, says: “Geoff first sent me some images of his work in October 2011.

“I liked the work immediately, drawn to its grittiness and style.

“When I then read that Geoff was registered blind I was completely blown away.

“How on earth he produces work of this quality, in the style he does, is incredible.

“To think he can’t actually see any of his finished pictures makes it even more remarkable and I knew I had to get Geoff’s work out into the public domain. “His story is inspirational.”

Born in 1950, Geoff was raised in Salford, before graduating from the Leeds School of Town Planning in 1972.

He worked around the world and spent the bulk of his career as a director of planning for both Tesco and Asda.

It was in 1999 a congenital defect resulted in the loss of eyesight in both eyes. Geoff has no central vision, retaining only some peripheral vision, though this is usually blurred. The artist describes seeing continual flashing lights in his eyes, whether open or closed, giving the feeling of a permanent headache.

As a result of the genetic defect, he was forced to stop work in 2000, and became registered blind. In 2003 as a protest against his condition he took up painting, using eclectic memories of climbing days in the Highlands, the landscapes of his beloved Yorkshire, as well as his childhood in Salford.

Most of his work is in colour but in recent years he has taken to working with a black and white palette to capture the atmosphere of the subjects and reflecting the grittiness of the environment.

His work is largely focused on the northern street scenes, the old buildings, cobbles and paving slabs.

The only vegetation was grass and weeds growing from cracks in the pavement or walls, occasionally a small privet would try to survive in someone’s pocket hanky of a garden.

While his work can be seen in his native Manchester, it travels over the Pennines for the exhibition at the AC Gallery where more than 20 original paintings will be shown.

The artist himself will be at the AC Gallery between 11am and 2pm tomorrow and the exhibition runs until May 12.