AN artist whose work has been displayed in galleries across the country has died.

Clarice Pomfret had always wanted to be an artist but only turned the dream in to a reality later on in life, choosing instead to stay at home and care for her father after the death of her mum.

After marrying Nevil in 1953 and having their two children William and Anne, she began to take classes but was told that she was too good to learn anything from them and directed towards teaching.

After gaining the necessary qualification she began teaching art and later pottery to adult learners in both Atherton and Tyldesley .

Clarice, who lived on Stanley Street, Atherton, became a well-known artist after winning first prize in a nationwide painting competition for housewives launched by People magazine in 1958 after which her work appeared in the Walker in Liverpool, Manchester City Art Gallery and Woburn Abbey.

Nevil, aged 86, said: "We met at school, we were in the same class at Leigh Street School. Clarice was very bright and had been moved up a class and ended up with me.

"We both left school but met again a few years later when we both took up ballroom dancing at a school in Leigh then when we got better at it we used to go dancing together.

"Clarice always loved art but she didn't like selling her paintings. I've got them all upstairs. There were certain situations when she would sell them but we would make prints of them to sell to people instead.

"She was a very active person and really enjoyed her teaching but she lost her sight later on in life and was unable to continue painting."

Clarice died aged 84 on December 15 in hospital from septicaemia and heart failure.

She is survived by her son William, son-in-law to Tony, and grandchildren Sam, Sophie, Joseph and Nathan. Nevil and Clarice's daughter Anne died 13 years ago from breast cancer.