WHEN artist Paul Miller became a dad at 59, he felt the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders.

And he recorded his experiences in an illustrated book for his daughter Dulcie, now two years old, to serve both as a record and a memento for her when she’s older.

Prints from the book, along with other works produced over many years by Paul, of Coleman Street, Southend, are on display at Southend Central Library in an exhibition running until November 17.

“It’s called Dear Dulcie and it’s directed at her,” says Paul, now 61, talking about his first book. “I’m aware of my responsibilities – and of my own mortality and what goes with that, which is mostly what I mean by responsibilities.

“It’s a responsibility to have a child when you’re not likely to live much more than another 20 years or so and I want it to be there when I’m not, so she can read about it and understand something about her dad.”

Paul, is originally from Birmingham and he’s amassed a huge portfolio of work. Starting off as a stage designer, he also penned cartoons for theatre programmes and football brochures for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He spent ten years teaching English and drama and even spent some time as a signwriter for B&Q.

“It’s an intriguing thing,” he says of his cartoons. “Putting images together with words and seeing how much of the story you can tell visually, and how much you can tell in words.

“It’s an interesting exercise.”

His second, and latest, book is also one based on life experiences. It charts the distressing journey he faced when a squatter moved into his elderly mother’s house in Birmingham, while she was ill in hospital.

Paul wrote the book describing his experience as he attempted to remove the squatter and eventually won his court case.

He illustrated the work, entitled An Unenviable Position, with fine, woodcut-style drawings.

“It’s based on my own experience,” he says. “I’m supposedly educated, but I was still so ignorant about life as a citizen in Britain in this situation.

“There are rights you think you have, but you don’t. I realised how little I knew about things.”

Paul’s mother died before the issue was resolved and he found himself in trouble when he broke into his mum’s house, only to find the squatter had called the police on him.

He adds: “Really that’s over now, but I felt if I could alert people to what goes on and the way it works, somehow that would be good.”

His exhibition features examples from his two books, as well as some of his theatre programme cartoons, some nudes and studies of trees.

Paul says having his work on show is almost like working in the theatre again. He explains: “It’s interesting for other people to see it I suppose.

“It’s something really personal being looked at by people you don’t know. But I’m basking in quite a lot of flattery at the moment. It’s been quite well received apparently. People have been generally interested in looking at it.

“It is quite flattering and quite nice to see people looking at your things.”

Paul’s exhibition, Millart, runs until November 17, in the ground floor gallery at Southend Central Library, Victoria Avenue, Southend. Most pieces are available to purchase.