A GIANT artwork full of drama, detail and dinosaurs has won its deaf and blind creator a gallery award.

The hallmark of Minerva Hussain's work is its textured intricacy, which creates images that can be felt as well as seen.

His latest showpiece is a vivid prehistoric landscape featuring a fiery volcano, ancient trees and a mass of carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs.

Spines, scales, teeth, leaves, trunks and rock are all carefully cut from cardboard, as are all the general shapes of the creatures and their stormy environment.

Minerva, 45, spent nine months creating his masterpiece, working at home at the Deafness Support Network's (DSN) Stepping Stones centre in Northwich and at DSN's tannery day centre.

He also championed economy and recycling during his work.

Speaking through two interpreters Minerva said: "To save a lot of money what I did was use the cardboard from cereal boxes because it's quite hard but cost effective and recycling.

"I did lots of work at The Tannery and took lots home.

"I was going away with bags full of stuff and then carrying on cutting.

"I was sweating, it was hard work.

"It took hours and hours but I enjoyed it."

Minerva has Usher syndrome, which started to affect his sight when he was 18, gradually getting worse until he was left with just peripheral vision.

It was the dramatic effect of the Walking with Dinosaurs arena tour on his limited senses that inspired his work after he saw it in Manchester in January.

"It was really noisy and made me jump lots of times," he said.

"There was thunder and lightening, lots of roaring and things going on.

"I was stood there and all of a sudden it made me jump because I heard it, I was quite shocked I could hear it.

"When I walked in it was quite dark and there was a red sky and lightening so it was easy to see it Minerva uses his computer, books and magnifying glass to research his work.

His latest piece won him first prize in a competition organised by Funky Aardvark Gallery in Chester.