A FORMER art teacher's painting skills have flourished during a retirement spent between the chilly North-East and the sunshine of a Spanish costa.

Barbara Vine can now devote more time to her passion for painting, taking part in art classes and clubs in County Durham and on Spain's Costa Blanca, where she has a villa.

In Spain, usually during the English winter, Ms Vine is involved with a mixed group of locals and expats called Artists Unlimited.

Back in Durham, she attends summer workshops under the expert eye of artist Linda Birch, organised through the DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery.

Ms Vine, 73, said her semi-abstract pictures were also influenced by Spanish scenery and gardens, which have encouraged her to experiment with different colours and new techniques.

A selection of 22 of her paintings have gone on show at the upstairs gallery at the DLI Museum, in Aykley Heads, Durham.

She launched the exhibition last weekend with friends and fellow artists at the museum, where it can be viewed alongside the distinctive works of Beryl Cook and award-winning wildlife photographers.

"It's quite a privilege to be among such good company, but it should mean quite a few visitors will get to see my paintings, which is nice," she said.

"I always wanted to paint during a lifetime of teaching, but demands are such that being creative is hard.

"It's only in the last 13 years, since I retired, that I've really had the chance to devote the time to it that I would like."

Ms Vine's work will remain on show daily until January 11, from 10am to 4pm.

She then intends to escape the English winter with her husband, Robert, and return to Spain.

Published: 03/01/2004