AN artist who returned to his North-East home after being struck down by a spinal tumour is putting on an exhibition of work reflecting one of the region's valleys.

Duncan Smith has 44 works on show at Killhope North of England Lead Mining Museum, in County Durham, until October 27.

His display reflects the lives of people in the "scarred and changing" landscape of that area of Upper Weardale, where he has strong family roots.

Although born in Cumbria, Mr Smith was brought up in Durham from the age of three and has ties to the Kidd, Emerson and Race families in the Dale. His great, great grandmother, Esther Emerson, lived in a cottage overlooking Killhope as a child.

His first exhibition at the centre was in 1994, as part of the Artists of the Hills display, before he went on to complete an MA at the University of Leeds. Duncan then moved to London, where he exhibited regularly.

In 1998, he returned home to his parents after the inoperable tumour was discovered.

With their help, and with grants from Durham City Arts and Northern Arts, he has developed digital skills to aid his work and has also gradually returned to the more physically demanding oil paintings, for which he is known.

These two media form the bulk of the work at the Killhope River Valley exhibition.

Mr Smith said: "The scarred and changing landscape and hidden industrial ruins of the Wear Valley reflect the lives of the people who shaped them.

"Although the majority of the pictures on show are in the landscape genre, they are about the people who have lived and worked in the river valley over the centuries.