SAT in his Vauxhall Chevette estate, which had become his home, Jason Liosatos quietly read his book until the lights in the car park under Bath's sports centre switched off at 11pm, marking his bedtime.

After suffering from a panic attack while up a ladder in 1993, Jason's window cleaning business had failed and he had quickly found himself living in his car, paying 20 pence a night for the security of a car park while he slept.

While he was searching for a book in the self-help section of Waterstone's one afternoon he made friends with a woman called Louise, who was stressed about her job which took her around the world buying underwear for a leading high street chain.

They became friends and Louise knocked on the roof of Jason's car one night and invited him to the shelter of her flat, marking the beginning of their relationship.

Louise quit her job and the pair began selling artwork from the side of Bath's canals for £10 a piece and touring around Greece with an exhibition before returning to the UK where they slowly built-up their careers as artists.

Now an established artist in the UK, selling pieces for up to £2,000, Jason, 47, is eager to ensure that people in Cornwall will still be able to enjoy his artwork during the credit crunch.

He has dropped his prices in his Mevagissey gallery from £350 a piece down to £120 for some of his original paintings – and he has been known to haggle.

"If people really like my paintings I want them to have them," said Jason. "I paint pictures and sell them at a price that people can afford. I love that.

"If they don't have the money on them I will send them away with the piece anyway and ask them to send me a cheque or the cash.

"I like trusting people and we have never been let down once.

"People find it a thrill to be trusted like that; it feels wonderful."

The walls of his small gallery are covered with a selection of originals and prints which display a certain skill in capturing the magic of landscapes.

"I love sunsets and I have been going to see them again more recently in Newquay because watching it makes you happy," he said.

"I have had a really difficult journey. People are going so fast in their lives and they're so desperate to accumulate and acquire that they leave themselves behind.

"The world's become so insane, something has to give.

"People need to find peace and happiness.

"They are in such a rush that they don't see beauty anywhere and I am proud to know that one of my pictures can hang in a room and make people happy."

Jason, who lives in Treverbyn, sits in his gallery creating a couple of pieces a day to replace the art that flies from the walls.

He said: "I'm quite proud of the fact that I can offer different styles and I really enjoy offering people my pictures. People say that seeing my artwork makes them feel great.

"I have bought the prices down because they were out of the range of most people.

"I want to make my paintings accessible to as many people as possible.

"I am still selling them in other galleries across the country for more than £1,000 but I take great pleasure in giving people a picture that they can afford.

"It is out of most people's price range to buy an original picture from someone you can see hand-painting."

Jason also takes workshops, sells CDs and is writing a book about the way to inner peace and happiness.

For more information about Jason's artwork visit www.jasonliosatos.co.uk or visit his gallery, which is open seven days a week at 1 Church Street, Mevagissey.