Newark artist Mick Spendlow has recreated Teresa Martin's photo of Newark Market Square.

When it comes to his painting, Newark artist Mick Spendlow can't resist a challenge, so when he saw local photographer Teresa Martin's inspirational photo of Newark Market Square illuminated by fireworks and Christmas lights, he had the irresistible urge to capture the image on canvas.

The result is a magnificent oil painting of Teresa's unique photo which took Mick, of Maun Green, Newark, hundreds of hours to complete, spread over three months.

"I'm always looking for new material, for something different. I've done a lot of paintings of architecture such as the Ossington in Newark town centre and a lot of landscapes, and I like to work with local photographers. Teresa does some fantastic photographs and this one really inspired me.

"I wanted to push the boundaries of what I can do. I've never done a dark sky or fireworks before. How many people do you know who paint fireworks? I thought 'It's different!'"

Teresa Martin has been to view the finished work. "I was very flattered when Mick asked permission to paint my photograph," she said. "It took many hours for him to get to the end but when I finally got to see the finished art work I couldn't believe the attention to detail. It's so true to life - Mick should be so proud of himself as he has such a true talent. I can't wait to see what he paints next."

Combining the fireworks with the Christmas lights and the crowded market square proved particularly challenging for Mick: "I'm a fine detail artist, but putting the crowd in there was one of the biggest challenges. I didn't want just little dots. I had to create the feel of a crowd and each person watching the fireworks.

"For me, fine detail is everything. I want to put the viewer in the picture... I like to take people on a journey, so that when they look at the picture they can put themselves in there, in that crowd."

Mick's pursuit of detail borders on an obsession: "Some of the paintbrushes I use have only about five hairs on them," he says, but the results are spectacular.

Astonishingly Mick, 56, who works on counter sales at Turnbull Building and Plumbing Supplies, picked up those brushes again only two years ago, having not painted anything since 1985! Despite showing a precocious talent for art from the age of eight, he found it difficult to concentrate on his hobby after his son and daughter were born, so stopped painting at the age of 22:

"I need to be in my own world, my own bubble, and I'm planning to have a studio as a summer house in the garden where I can concentrate on my painting... When I paint it's like an energy. I take it in through my eyes and transfer it onto my fingers and into the brushes. If I don't have that energy, I can't paint.

"I'm dyslexic, so I've always had to work harder than anyone else to achieve things – except in art. It's the only skill where I know where I'm going and I don't have to depend on anyone else to help me do it."

Mick's Christmas fireworks painting will be put on sale but he hasn't yet decided whether to auction it or sell it by other means. The stages of its creation can be seen on his Facebook page M. Spendlow Art.

Now Mick is looking forward to his next challenge and is open to commissions. "At the moment I'm sketching animals as preparation for painting pet portraits. I want to keep pushing the boundaries of my art and see how far I can get."