An artist from Suffolk is “excited” to be exhibiting a collection of her latest paintings in the town where her career first began.

Professional painter Anne Rea will start her month-long exhibition at Woodbridge Library on Saturday, February 1, showcasing a wide variety of her most recent work.

Born in Suffolk, Mrs Rea studied at Great Yarmouth College of Art in the 1970s where she developed her coastal fascination.

“I spend a lot of time by the sea, painting boats, yachts and harbours,” she said.

“I particularly look for tone and colour that can be simplified in a dramatic way, whether it is the powerful skies and seas of the coast in East Anglia or Devon, or the pure light of the south of France. I am also inspired by old established gardens with fruit trees, sheds and greenhouses.

“I always work from initial sketches produced at the location. These involve sitting on a beach or a harbour wall while I detail the key elements of the scene including the tones and colour.”

Mrs Rea, who previously worked as a graphic illustrator on several award-winning educational films, decided to concentrate purely on painting after moving to Felixstowe.

Her work has regularly appeared in galleries across Suffolk but she says she is particularly excited about her return to Woodbridge where she held her first exhibition at the former Deben Gallery on Market Hill.

The exhibition, which features coastal scenes of the Deben estuary and Aldeburgh beach as well as gardens in southern France, runs from Saturday, February 1 to Friday, February 28, and is open during library hours. Visit www.annerea.co.uk to view her work.