Cosy atmosphere for Stourbridge exhibition

Pascale Bigot opens the doors of her Stourbridge home every year to showcase a variety of paintings, jewellery, sculptures and even knitting to the public.

It has been a busy year since her last charity exhibition judging by her house.

She has walls and shelves already packed with work ready for the three-day exhibition running between November 13 and 14.

The exhibition takes place at her home at 70 Worcester Street.

Mrs Bigot creates a homely atmosphere during the exhibition with people able to meet her – and her dogs, nine-year-old Yorkshire terrier Gribouille and eight-year-old pug and terrier cross Papeur. The exhibition is free to enter but public donations raised by the event go towards the charity Grain de Sable which helps women and children in Africa.

Items from the exhibition are on sale to help raise funds and the 52-year-old said the intimate surroundings sets it apart from usual gallery exhibitions.

"It is lovely because normally people who may see my work in a gallery will not get to meet me but they can chat to me here and I like to meet them too," she said.

Pascale originally lived in Tulle, near Toulouse, in France, before moving and settling in Stourbridge 21 years ago with her husband Bruno and their three children. She teaches adult education classes for Dudley Council and also runs her own art sessions at The Talbot Hotel, in Stourbridge, and Quinton Methodist Church.

"It is absolutely amazing to teach people.

"And I still enjoy it every day as when people come in they don't know what they are going to do and when they achieve it is wonderful," she said.

A range of work is inspired by the places she has visited with images created of scenes from flower sellers in a French town and villages surrounded by lavenders and poppy fields in northern Spain and Italy among them.

People including a trumpet player and another musician also feature.