THERE'S a buzz in the arts world.

Jungle drums are beating across London art galleries.

An exciting new talent has emerged - and he just happens to come from Kendal.

Following in the footsteps of Damien Hirst, Matthew Garnett has just won the best work in the Goldsmiths degree show - the Wardens Prize, which the controversial Mr Hirst achieved when he was a student at the prestigious London college.

In addition, the former Queen Katherine School pupil has landed the Neville Burston Painting Bursary - a £1,000 prize for innovation in painting.

He's chuffed too that Goldsmiths has bought one of his paintings for its own collection.

And to top it all he's basking in the success of a 2:1 degree result.

Make no mistake, this young guy is going places.

Another award nomination from a Bond Street dealer is in the pipeline and from the feedback I've been getting Matthew has a tremendous future ahead.

Surprised by his college success, the Kendalian is taking it all in his stride.

In particular recognising the important role his senior school art teacher played in steering him on the right track: "Without Pete Clark I wouldn't have done this.

He told me, 'Matt you could do this at degree level.' It was down to him."

Matthew's work is large scale, yet extremely detailed, with incredible colour graduation, especially in the Laura Palmer (yes she of Twin Peaks fame) portrait, one of two oils that made such a massive impression on the degree show judges.

The other is Merril Collection-Houston, created after Matthew's visit to the impressive Texas gallery: "Its an amazing building I just had to paint it," he told me.

Creatively, Matthew's pretty well focused.

He says that modern art is obscure and the public can't grasp it.

Hence his reason for painting Twin Peaks, something the man in the street can relate to.

Both oils have 35 panels.

Each panel taking a couple of days with the final artwork coming together in around four months.

However, all this hung in the balance when he left his Goldsmith course in the second year for financial reasons.

He took a year out to raise some money and returned inspired 12 months later to re-start his second year and finish the three-year course.

Talking from his Catford flat, Matthew defines himself as a photo realist painter, trying to copy the photograph as near as possible.

He now plans to look for work teaching painting and in an advisory capacity on a couple of foundation courses.

And no doubt his fame will spread as his work features in group shows in the capital over the summer.

The world is truly his oyster.