KEEN PAINTER Marion Wilkinson picked up a paint brush for the first time when she broke her leg two years ago and now she has her own exhibition.

Marion, 72, from Cherry Orchard, Highworth, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last April but she has learned a whole new skill and is now selling her work at The Prospect Hospice in Wroughton on Saturday March 5 from 6pm.

Her daughter Sharon Wilkinson said: “She couldn’t move when she broke her leg, she couldn’t even hop with a zimmer frame, so we gave her some drawing to do and she turned out to be really good. We bought her an easel and, with the help of a few videos, she taught herself.’’ Marion works in acrylics and watercolours and she has 25 pieces of work to sell at her exhibition in aid of the hospice and motor neurone disease charity.

Sharon said: “She goes to the Prospect every Wednesday and paints there, she also does silk scarves and silk ties. We will be selling post cards and greetings cards made from prints of her paintings.’’ Marion has lost her voice completely as a result of the motor neurone disease and is fed through her stomach but she still hopes to have some of her pictures on show at Inkspot art shop in Swindon.

She is a well loved character in Highworth and spent the last 20 years looking after her disabled husband, Peter, and her three children, Pauline, Barry and Sharon.

Her husband was on life support as he was nearly paralysed from the neck down and had had four heart attacks.

Pauline suffers from arthritis and Crohn’s Disease, Barry is an epileptic and Sharon herself has had surgery.

“She looked after all of us when we were ill and we never wanted for anything,” Sharon said.

“She never asked for anything so we feel this is her time now, which is why we want to have the exhibition of her paintings.