From splashing paints about with the children at her local play group to being invited to put on art exhibitions, Colleen Campbell has come a long way in a very short space of time.

"I was messing about, painting with the play group six years ago, when I thought I could seriously take up watercolours" she says.

Although Billericay mum Colleen has received no formal training in art, she has subsequently sold more than 70 paintings. "I specialise in landscapes, mainly of Essex," she says.

Amazingly, many of the scenes are drawn from memory or from her imagination: "I may sketch the different shapes of buildings but sitting outside in the cold and rain isn't for me!"

Hence, as summer draws to an end, this talented fair-weather artist is currently working on a snow scene.

With her paintings selling for between £60 and £130, Colleen still works two-days-a-week at Shelley's in Billericay High Street to supplement her income.

Incidentally, the High Street - including Shelley's - which is a period building - has already been recreated by her paintbrush. "For that I had to take a photograph to enable me to faithfully capture the beauty of the High Street's buildings," she says. "I specialise in fine detail. I'm by no means a quick artist."

Colleen's work has been shown at Shenfield Library and an exhibition at Wickford Library has just ended.

Another showing at Chelmsford Too Gallery at Chelmsford Library, Market Road, Chelmsford finishes on Friday. Opening times are 9am to 7pm weekdays and 9am to 5pm Saturday.

In February Colleen will present a four-week exhibition at Ingatestone Library.

All in her mind - Billericay artist Colleen Campbell paints Essex scenes from memory

Picture: STEPHEN LLOYD

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.