GWENT graffiti art and work by a 17th-century Dutch master - the two may not seem to have much in common.

But now an art project created by six local teenagers is taking pride of place alongside an exhibition of work by painter Vermeer at the National Gallery, in London.

Jamie Davies, Byron Colwell, Scott Harriman, Daniel Madge, Stephen Cosh and Alan Daniels, who attend the NCH Cymru Family Resource Centre, in Cefn Golau, Tredegar, created the two-foot-six by three-foot billboard for arts initiative Life Matters.

Their image of Jamie beat off competition from more than 250 other entries to win the place alongside the Vermeer exhibition.

The group, all aged 15 and 16, worked with community artist Chris Wood on the project, which emulates Ver-meer's technique.

Mr Wood said: "We tried to keep the essence of Vermeer's poses and technique in our graffiti art. Vermeer and graffiti art are at opposite ends of the artistic scale, but we have managed to draw on their common factors."

The young artists started their work with a digital camera before transferring the image on to acetate and projecting it on to the plaster-coated billboard to provide a wall effect associated with graffiti art. Then the image was sketched and colour added with spray paint.

Vermeer's technique was to use the camera obscura to capture an image for the canvas. The NCH arts initiative in which the teenagers took part aims to celebrate the achievements and creative talents of young people who receive support from the organisation.

Last week the group had the chance to visit London to see the picture in the gallery. Judith Morgans, outreach team co-ordinator with NCH Cymru, said: "The boys enjoyed working on the project very much. Outreach projects ensure the young people are given opportunities to explore their abilities through alternative projects and then build upon and explore any interests they discover within themselves."

The Life Matters display is free to view and is on show until September 16.

*PICTURED: From left, Byron Colwell, 15, Jamie Davies, 13, Scott Harriman, 16, and Alan Daniels, 17.