'I get hundreds of orders for terrible paintings'

Jamie Lee Matthius painted BBC Radio Stoke presenter Lee Blakeman

A self-confessed "terrible" artist said he has received hundreds of commissions after attracting national and international media attention in January.

Jamie Lee Matthius, from Alsager in Cheshire, presented his wife with a poster-paint canvas in May 2024 to celebrate their wedding.

The joke soon escalated, however, with Mr Matthias telling BBC Radio Stoke at the start of this year he had since taken dozens of orders.

About nine months later, he has shipped worldwide, receiving about 280 orders in total.

"I seem to be painting most weeks, actually, it's been absolutely crazy," he said.

His painting attracted attention from national press as well as television channels in the US and Europe.

Mr Matthias said he had grown a particularly strong customer base for his side hustle in Taiwan.

"I was expecting nothing – we thought we'd maybe sell a few, at best, to family and friends," he explained.

Mr Matthius has also done a group painting of members of BBC Radio Stoke's presenting team

He said "by far the worst one" was the wedding picture of himself and his wife, which she had eventually agreed to hang on their wall at home.

"It was to prove a point – because she suggested no-one else would want anything that bad in their living room," he said.

"She wouldn't hang it, so it was a bit of a joke and a bit of banter."

He said he had been asked to paint a variety of subjects – including someone's recently-deceased relative, children's school photos and animals.

"I enjoy doing it as a hobby and I find it relaxing," Mr Matthius said. "I still can't believe people order."

His artwork has led to him appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show in the US and Channel 4's The Last Leg in the UK - which he said had been his favourite TV experience.

He said: "To go on there and get absolutely rinsed on telly was absolutely hilarious, definitely a highlight of the year."