STEVE Mason always dreamed of being a Mod.

As a teenager in the 1960s he admired the sharp suits, longed for a scooter and loved bands like The Who.

The 13-year-old was slightly too young to make it into the crowd so respected the 'look' from afar and hoped one day he could show his appreciation of the scene in another way.

Cult classic Quadrophenia cemented Brighton's link with the Mod scene in 1979. Steve grew older, the phase became less popular but there was still a flame.

After retiring earlier this year from his job as an IT manager for the Martlets hospice he decided to throw himself into painting. He always loved it but never found the time. Now he has made it a permanent fixture in his life. He has developed a playful style with bold colours in the image of how he remembers creating arts as a boy and honed his craft at the Adur Art Collective.

It was at this point he discovered an opportunity to revive his love of Mods - by painting the theme of the era on to a giant Snowdog sculpture as part of the Snowdogs By The Sea charity arts trail around Brighton and Hove.

The 65-year-old, of Southwick, said: "I would earn pocket money as a Saturday stockroom boy at Woolworths and then would travel into Brighton and spend it on Ben Sherman shirts. I dreamt about a Lambretta TV175 at a time when The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were playing at the Hippodrome and a Coke was 4pence in old money. They were exciting times for young teenagers like me, and exciting times for a town like Brighton.

"This was the first thing I thought of for the design."

More than 50 years may have passed but the Mod craze continues to live on here - with a Brighton-based spin off of Quadrophenia in the offing and scores of Vespas and Lambrettas lining up on the seafront each August bank holiday for an annual reunion outside the Volks nightclub in Madeira Drive - which was made famous in the film.

There is even a Mod clothing shop in Gardner Street called Jump the Gun.

Embracing this, his design suggestion was snapped up by Churchill Square Shopping Centre which sponsored the piece of art.

Over 19 days, for six hours a day, he shut himself away in his son's garage in Worthing with acrylic paints until the design was finished with the Modernist culture of sharp-suited men, women with bobbed hair and gogo boots straddling scooters all working as inspiration.

"Ever since I was young I have indulged my passion in painting but it has been in a traditional style of painting of landscapes and seascapes in oils. A few years ago I was prompted to make a change in my life, I have Asperger's and I was finding situations stressful. The Martlets was really good and helped me get counselling. "It helped me learn that I had to challenge myself with different tasks and changes to help me cope. I am much better now."

Steve reverted back to the style of painting he first exhibited in the sixties when he painted colourful murals on his bedroom walls. He even added people, something he had never done, but they are always faceless.

He said: "It was harder working on a 3D canvas and getting it to look right but it turned out well.

"The design has allowed me to portray old memories of Brighton in a way that excites me and hopefully strikes a chord with the viewer."

Mod Dog is one of 44 Snowdog sculptures to take to the streets on Saturday in aid of the Martlets. The 1.5 metre, 40 kg model will stand pride of place inside Churchill Square Shopping Centre. The art trail, which lasts nearly ten weeks, is based on the children's character from The Snowman and the Snowdog sequel to Raymond Briggs' The Snowman and each model will be individually designed.

Steve added: "I think the whole trail is a great idea, some of the artwork is brilliant. It's been a really big challenge but the finished product is really striking and fun."

One of the first people to see the finished sculpture was Wayne Doidge, a Brighton born and bred original 1960s Mod.

He said: "I didn't know anything about it until we were invited to meet Mod Dog and I thought it was great, I think people will really enjoy it."

The 69-year-old, who now lives in Lancing, said it was the music of bands like The Who, The Kinks, The Animals and then The Beatles which saw the Mod trend come into its own.

Wayne said: "The teenagers were listening to very diverse music for the time, inspired by blues from America. "It was a very powerful period, in the 50s children dressed like their parents and did things their parents liked. "But in the 60s the youngsters found their identity, they picked their clothes, music and we had some favourite haunts - like the Regent dance hall where Boots is now and a coffee bar called Scandinavia on Western Road. It was all about looking good - they modelled their look on fine Italian suits, they could not afford a car but for the first time young people could afford their own transport with a scooter. The idea was the Parka could be worn over your suit on a scooter so you could still turn up at a dance hall looking cool."

Don’t miss our special Argus Snowdogs by the Sea supplement, which will be in every copy of Saturday’s paper. This is your ultimate guide on how to take part in the charity arts trail featuring all the information you need including a map, quiz, facts and an introduction to all the sculptures. Visit he Argus stand at Brighton Railway Station from 9am to 12.30pm on Saturday to pick up your copy and get your hands on a special snowdog trail survival kit goody bag. Of every sale made here, 20p will be donated to The Martlets Hospice.