A WINCHESTER artist is celebrating a huge commission from an international art gallery.

Caroline Hall works from a studio in the heart of the city at Little Minister Street and has received an order for 70 paintings from Carré d'Artistes in Utrecht, Holland.

It’s vindication for Ms Hall, who gave up a successful career in journalism to pursue her art, and will be remembered by many as a BBC presenter for some 15 years back in the 1980s and 90s.

Working with oils on sheets of aluminium, she got her break after displaying at a fare in London.

She said: “The Carré d'Artistes specialises in original works of art from up-and-coming artists and they spotted my work at a fare and commissioned 40 paintings at Easter.”

Ms Hall studied for an MA at the Winchester School of Art in 2007 and her works can now fetch up to £4,000 each.

She operates an open workshop and gallery, so that the public can see the creative process, and has recently taken on additional space across the street.

But she admits the past two years have been a struggle.

“I have thought several times about packing it in because you’re utterly dependent on the economy.

“I have had two years of desert where nothing sold and it’s only since Easter things have started going nuts.

“The biggest works now go for £4,000 and I have gone for the higher end of the market, but you sell one piece at that price and it gives you credibility to keep selling at that price,” she said.