AN Ilminster artist has gone from in her words from producing ‘a muddy mess’ with watercolours to creating atmospheric pastel paintings.

Lin Williams, who moved from Cornwall to Somerset, has been creating her pastel pictures for 11 years, after she discovered where her true artistic talent lay.

Taking early retirement from being a PA meant her talent as an artist could be released.

Lin did not know she had this skill, she had a hankering to do art but never thought she had the ability to create paintings or even sell them when she first started.

She said: “I am self taught and began with watercolours but was only making a muddy mess.

"An elderly lady living near me, taught me how to use pastels and that was a revelation.

"I go out and take hundreds of pictures and when I get home I look through them to find the best one.

“I then use my pastels to create the picture as pastels are fantastic at creating the right colours, light and atmosphere.

“What I want people to have when they look at one of my landscapes is to have a WOW moment.

"I love using pastels as they are a forgiving medium where as watercolours mean you have to keep the paper clean and can’t go back into the painting.

"Soft pastels are amazing at creating atmosphere and the different streaks of light or sunlight.”

Lin enjoys the ability to withdraw into world where there is nothing except her and her pastels.

She described it as being ‘peaceful and quiet’ but when it goes away she steps away until this feeling returns.

Lin is now excited after being invited to exhibit at Yandles Gallery in Martock.

The busy 69-year-old grandmother has produced a series of new pastels which can now be seen in the gallery.

Lin said: “For the autumn I hope to be putting my pastels to work on the wonderful landscapes and woodlands of Somerset.

"This will be my first permanent Somerset gallery and I am excited to have been given my place there.”