MOLLY Dowell sees herself as a crusader in the cause of art, which has been an abiding passion from the days of her childhood.

She is passing on the benefit of her experience to students in the Wednesday Painters' club that meets in Shrawley Village Hall each week, adamant they should learn the basics that will enhance their own abilities and self-expression in due course.

"You wouldn't expect somebody to learn to play the piano without having heard the music played properly beforehand," she explained.

Devon-born Molly, who lives in Areley Kings, Stourport, thrives on her work with her students. "The teaching at Shrawley is a very special thing for me and for quite a number of the people who come," she said.

The reference to painters in the title of the group does not tell the whole story about what members learn, according to Molly: "It's a drawing group. I have this crusade about drawing.

"I look at a lot of amateur work and can tell they have not been taught to draw properly." She believes good drawing technique should come before painting, in the way the cart should precede the horse.

Molly certainly has plenty of experience to draw on, having taught art in schools in the private and public sector down the years.

There was never much doubt about what her career path would be: "I think at the age of five I decided I wanted to teach art. I always drew and I was always interested in teaching."

Molly attended what she described as a "rather special residential art school", not far from Bath, where students learned how to teach art.

She met her husband, Michael, while they were both students. He was at Oxford, studying forestry, before departing for Africa to work in what is now Malawi. For two years, the couple did not see each other, until Molly flew out there for their wedding. They have two children.

Molly estimates that about half her time nowadays is spent on teaching, with the other half devoted to her own artistic work, which is varied.

It ranges from pen and ink drawings for book illustrations to more elaborate batik - the Javanese craft of designing in colour on fabrics by waxing parts not to be dyed.

Her art has been in demand in many parts of the world, including Japan and South Africa and she has recently found a new market for commissioned work - Atlanta, Georgia in the United States.

One of her projects has been illustrating a book called A Month with Saint Francis which was written by Brother Ramon of Glasshampton Monaster, near Shrawley. Proceeds boosted the Cancer Resource Centre at Kidderminster Hospital.

Molly, a Companion of St Francis for more than 15 years, has illustrated six other books on spiritual themes with Brother Ramon.