A BANANA plantation in the balmy Canary Islands has helped a Suffolk artist claim top spot in a national competition.Marian Lacy Scott, who is better known as Dan, will now collect her prize at the House of Lords during a ceremony in September.

A BANANA plantation in the balmy Canary Islands has helped a Suffolk artist claim top spot in a national competition.

Marian Lacy Scott, who is better known as Dan, will now collect her prize at the House of Lords during a ceremony in September.

Mrs Lacy Scott, who lives in Bury St Edmunds, only began painting 10-years-ago following the death of her husband, and was delighted to beat 3,000 other artists to the title celebrating exceptional imagination and creativity.

Her winning piece, called Gone Bananas, has now been exhibited at the Business Design Centre, in Islington, alongside the work of another 100 artists shortlisted as finalists in the competition run by a specialist national magazine. Judges included well-known artist Ken Howard.

"The organisers had told me to stay by the phone on Wednesday night, as they were to contact the winners, but I decided to go out as I didn't think I had a chance," said Mrs Lacy Scott.

"When I came home, there was a message on my answer machine. I couldn't believe it, and still can't!

"The competition was quite stiff, and I thought I couldn't really compete, but I proved myself wrong.

"It felt good to see my painting exhibited as one of the finalists, and I based the picture on banana plantations in the Canary Islands, where my daughter lives."

Another of Mrs Lacy Scott's paintings, also based in the Canary Islands, is currently on display at the Bury St Edmunds Art Gallery.

She will be presented with a break for two at Earnley Concourse in Chichester, which is a specialist arts and crafts centre, as her prize.