A CREATIVE Cofton Hackett woman, who started painting and drawing as a hobby three years ago, is exhibiting her work for the first time.

Alma Hackett, of Chestnut Drive, has set up a display at Bromsgrove Library after reading a story in the Advertiser/Messenger appealing for amateur artists to show their work at the Stratford Road site.

She used a variety of sources as inspiration for her work including photographs and animals.

Pastels, watercolours and pencil crayons are her favoured mediums.

Formerly a typist for your No.1 community newspaper, Alma now divides her time between working at the Stay and Playgroup at Lickey End First School and practising her favourite pastime.

She said: "I have really enjoyed working on the exhibition, it has been a busy time though because I have had to mount and hang the work.

"My friend helped me hang my work although we had great difficulty getting the screws to fix into the wall.

"In the end we had to enlist the help of a man, which we weren't happy about.

"He informed us we were using the wrong tools and rectified the problem straight away. But it is so nice to stand back and look at your work."

The exhibition is showing in the foyer of the library until February 2 with some pieces available to buy.