WOLLASTON artist Geoff Tristram is about to unveil his "most important" piece of work ever.

The 61-year-old portrait painter and cartoonist was invited to paint the official portrait of William Shakespeare to mark the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death.

Created as part of a partnership with Stratford-upon-Avon district and town councils - the painting is set to be unveiled at a Stratfords of the World dinner at the town hall in Stratford, Shakespeare's home town, on April 20, just three days ahead of celebrations on the weekend of April 23, the date on which the Bard was born in 1564 and died in 1616 at the age of 52.

Geoff, of Eggington Road, said: "It's the official 400th anniversary portrait. I've just finished it off. It's the most important piece I've ever done in my life.

"It was gruelling and nerve-wracking. I knew the enormity of what I was doing and it gets to you; it becomes the one you get obsessed about. But it's the obsession that drives you on to make it the best you can and this was magnified by 1,000 per cent. I got more and more paranoid and got everything as right as I could. I got loads of advice from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust."

Geoff even got a glimpse of Shakespeare's death mask and taught himself how to write in Elizabethan handwriting so he could include an authentic looking soliloquy into the painting.

"I've done as much research as I could. No-one's going to accuse me of getting this wrong."

He said he's spent two months solid working on the painting and now it's finished he doesn't quite know what to do with himself.

"I'm in a bit of a state of shock."

He may be in for even more of a shock when the painting finally goes on display as interest in the image is likely to be great - particularly among overseas fans of the Bard.

Geoff, who remembers studying Hamlet at A level, says he's always been a fan of Shakespeare but his appreciation of the famous playwright has sky-rocketed since he took on the project.

He said: "I was a fan anyway which is why I wanted to do it in the first place but I've had more and more respect for that bloke every time I've read anything about him.

"He was an actor and he wrote his plays in the main in bawdy pubs by candlelight while everyone was having dinner around him; it puts it in context what a genius he was."

Anyone wanting a copy of the painting can get their hands on one of two prints that have been created.

A large, signed limited edition version is available for £195 and a smaller version can be bought for £85.

For more details email gt@geofftristram.co.uk or check out http://www.thetristramshakespeare.co.uk/