AT 94, Sir Ian Byatt is continuing to explore his passion for painting after his first-ever exhibition at Regent’s Park Gallery.

The economist and former director-general of Ofwat began painting after joining a City Lit art class in the 1970s, discovering a creative challenge far removed from his career in economics.

Sir Ian (pictured) grew up in Preston and it was a school teacher who took him to Preston Gallery and ignited an interest in painting. His abstract work has evolved over the decades, influenced by hitchhiking across Europe to explore the great galleries of Italy and time spent painting with artist Michael Horn.

Sir Ian said: “I started painting initially because I thought life was too short for just economics. At City Lit they taught me to draw between the objects and not the actual objects themselves. There isn’t much money in art so it was always economics and that was what I was trained to do, but [art] was always a secret passion of mine.

“I was doing quite a busy job as the deputy chief economic adviser to the Treasury, and that was where my time was spent.

“When you had a bit of time off you might do something else as we all might do. Painting and art were the fun side of that.”

Sir Ian, who has lived in King’s Cross since 1962, added: “Some of my colleagues didn’t have any idea I painted for all these years. But it was just the fun side of life.”

The exhibition, which took place last week, also featured the work of Kate Kelly, Sir Ian’s sister-in-law.