Nurse with a passion for art gets her painting added to the Royal collection

The Queen will be presented with a painting created by a Norfolk nurse later this year.

Wendy Kimberley, from Little Melton, received first prize at the En Plein Air competition in Windsor Castle on July 21.

Her winning entry, Beyond The Wall, is of the view from the East Terrace at the Castle, and is painted with Mrs Kimberley's preferred materials, traditional egg tempera on Ampersand clay board.

It will be presented to The Queen for her private collection later this autumn, and Mrs Kimberley has received £500.

Professional and amateur artists from around the country were given exclusive access to the Castle grounds for six hours to paint one of a choice of 11 locations.

A street gallery exhibition was then mounted at Windsor Royal Shopping Centre and was judged by three eminent art experts.

Mrs Kimberley's husband, Tony Kimberly, said: 'Not only did she beat 100 top artists including professionals from around the country but once again she beat illness after having her gall bladder removed just the month before.'

The mother-of-four and grandmother said: 'I'm very chuffed that my painting got picked. I'd love to be a professional artist. I paint a bit of everything.

'All my winnings will be invested back into my art. I just love art, I'm quite passionate about it.

'I'm experimenting at the moment, using traditional egg tempera, which was used in medieval icon painting.'

The ancient technique involves mixing powdered or water colour pigments with egg yolk to bind to paper prepared wood or clay board.

Mrs Kimberley, who works as a district nurse in Wymondham, added: 'Looking back it was a close call in 2003 between studying for a degree in nursing or fine art.

'The nursing won out as I wanted to pay back the kindness I had received when I was treated for cancer back in 1998.

'I have completed book cover art for two publishing houses, and been chosen as a wildcard to compete in Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year in 2017.

'I didn't paint when I was going through cancer, but it does influence it.

'You're thinking a lot about life and death, and now I really appreciate nature and living in the moment.

'I hope that comes across in my work.'