Southampton’s urban landscapes have inspired a mature student who is showing her work at a degree show.

Fine Art student Wendy White, 55, from Bursledon is exhibiting three egg tempera paintings 'Containers, Southampton Docks', 'Multi Storey Car Park' and 'Any Hotel' at Solent University’s degree show this week.

When the youngest of her six children went to secondary school, Wendy decided it was time to pursue her long-held dream of becoming a professional artist and teacher.

It quickly became evident that age was not to barrier her to her ambitions.

Wendy said: “I have achieved so much more than I ever thought I could. Completing the course has prepared me academically for the career I always wanted and given me the confidence to progress. I have also made many new friends who will stay with me for life.”

One of Wendy’s daughter’s, Shannon, 20, has also been studying at Solent for the last two years, doing a Media Culture and Production course.

Wendy feels that being at the same university has brought mother and daughter together.

“We have understood when we have no time to see each other, been stressed about deadlines and we have been able to share our greatest achievements,” she said.

Wendy will be going on to study for a Masters in October and gaining teaching qualifications and experience with the aim of combining work as a professional artist with teaching at higher education level.

  • Camilla Kristoffersen, 22, from Norway has based her project on the disappearance of Angalich Millard, a young girl who went missing from Manchester in 1998, only to be found dead in a remote cottage in Norway six years later. She was found along with a large amount of old photographs, letters, maps and items which she placed upon one of the walls and linked with red thread.

“She was seemingly trying to make connections between the people in the photos, the places on the map and Thunder Theatre,” says Camilla, who will be staying on at Solent to study for a Masters in Visual Communication this autumn.

The exhibition is open to the public today at Southampton Solent School of Art & Design, Level 2, Below Bar, 9 Castle Way, SO14 2BXfrom 10am – 4pm.