AN ART exhibition celebrating the work of a late county resident is touring East Lothian.

Maurine Hamilton, who lived in Gullane, had previously won the art prize at George Watson’s Ladies College, in Edinburgh, before going on to secretarial college to become a medical secretary, working at the University of Edinburgh’s anatomy department.

However, her love for art continued throughout her life.

In June last year, Joan McBride, Maurine’s social worker at East Lothian Council, helped her to move into Cluny Lodge Nursing Home in the Morningside area of the Capital.

Joan noticed her many paintings and thought they were of great interest before contacting East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, which in turn contacted Dementia Friendly East Lothian.

Sue Northrop, from the group, met with Maurine’s daughter Valerie, and the idea for an exhibition of Maurine’s work was born.

Valerie said: “I am delighted with the posters.

“Seeing my mother’s work displayed in this way was quite enlightening for me.

“There are themes that run through my mother’s paintings that were obviously very important to her, and in spite of her dementia, persisted to the very end.”

The exhibition, which has come through the Luminate Festival of Creative Ageing, was on display at Longniddry Library and will now move to Dunbar’s Bleachingfield Centre from Saturday until October 29.

Both exhibitions are free of charge and it is is planned to then tour the county after stopping off in Dunbar.

Maurine painted still-life and landscape in her mid-life but colour, decoration and pattern are other signatures of her work.

Maurine constantly made deliciously rich-patterned cushions, crocheted blankets and rugs.

Pattern and colour were always evident in her work. Latterly, her daughter had to put out the paint, easel, canvas and brushes, but once she was in front of the blank canvas, her energy came back and creativity thrived.