AN expensive love of art inspired Darlington artist Maaike Draper-Albers to take up painting.

The 48-year-old, who moved to the North-East 13 years ago from the Netherlands, was buying a piece of art a month until she picked up a paintbrush.

She said: "I was organising exhibitions and I was used to buying a painting a month, which cost quite a lot, so I thought maybe I should try myself. After I sold my first painting, it really took off."

Mrs Draper-Albers' latest exhibition of pastels is at the Darlington Arts Centre until February 26.

She said: "The title of the exhibition is Subjective Realism, but there's no overall theme. They are colourful and very bold pictures.