A VERWOOD artist has been brightening up people's homes during lockdown with handmade paintings and fabric designs, including cushions.

Sarah Brooks started selling her work when she was a student at the University of Bath.

Since she finished university, Sarah has been training as a florist but the outbreak of coronavirus has put that on hold.

Sarah explained: "My training has come to a halt but I need to keep myself motivated otherwise I'll go a bit mad. I made cushions for my room and posted pictures online and I am now making them to order."

Sarah has been busy beavering away creating and selling since early April, keen to create something positive for people to enjoy during these challenging times.

She said: "Because people have been spending a lot of time at home, I wanted to brighten up their now constant and everyday environments with my paintings and fabric designs. This is something small but positive to come out of the current circumstances because without the pause from the hustle and bustle of my everyday life, I would never have had the time to bring people happiness with my creativity.

"It's really important to me as my mum passed away in January which is when I decided to make a collection in her name, so this is all based on that."

Sarah hopes that in the future she will have her own independent shop which sells a variety of her handmade items.

To purchase from Sarah, visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/billiesflorals/ or email billiesflorals@gmail.com

You can also find her on Instagram: @billies.florals