Back when he was performing as Vic Reeves, a bit of hubris was part of the joke. The comedian would bill himself as “Britain’s best light entertainer”, which teed up his act perfectly: a mix of faded variety show glamour and thin-skinned pomposity (with a dose of surrealism too). But nowadays, the man known to friends as Jim Moir – he plans to retire his alter ego next year – genuinely could give himself a top billing without a hint of irony. Because Moir has become one of the country’s most prolific painters. This week he will open an exhibition at RedHouse Originals gallery in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, his fifth of the year so far after shows in Jersey, Penzance, Northampton and London.
Sitting in his studio at home in Kent, painting, as he does almost every day shortly after waking up, Moir says he is feeling “stupendous”. He has a rule that he only ever paints when he’s in the mood, to not force it. Luckily for him he’s in the mood 90% of the time, producing “thousands” of paintings a year.
