A PROLIFIC North-East children's author and illustrator is drawing a worldwide audience after launching free art lessons during lockdown.

Liz Million, who lives in Darlington, has started streaming 40-minute creative workshops on Facebook every Friday morning at 10am.

And the online lessons are not only proving to be hugely popular in the UK, but attracting visitors from countries abroad.

Liz feared for the future of her own business when the Covid-19 pandemic first took hold last March, but she decided to adapt by providing online workshops and they went "absolutely crazy".

She said that she started streaming her free lessons on Friday mornings to "put something back" and support families facing the challenge of home-schooling.

“I want to get more children drawing because it breaks down barriers,” she says. “It’s a really hard time for families, so I want to make kids happy. It’s not just a job, it’s my vocation, so I wanted to do my bit to help."