'Sheila Watson — A Life in Colour' opens on Wednesday, May 14, at The Steeple, High Street, and will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day until May 23.

A Newburgh resident for 30 years, Mrs Watson lived with her husband Douglas, a retired school teacher, daughter Morag, now living in Springfield, and son Greig, who lives in Edinburgh.

Born in Edinburgh in 1948, she trained as a secretary after school before studying marketing at Strathclyde University, where she met her future husband.

The couple married in Peebles and lived in East Kilbride before moving to Newburgh, the children attending Newburgh Primary School and Madras College, St Andrews, where Mr Watson taught business education.

Largely self-taught, Mrs Watson combined her artistic interests with family life and the exhibition reflects the diversity of her output.

The collection includes 25 pictures, mostly pastels, 24 quilts and more than 40 pieces of jewellery, such as earrings, bracelets, brooches and rings.

Her abilities encompassed embroidery, decorated boxes, Temari (Japanese thread balls), handmade cards and dressmaking — last year Mrs Watson made the wedding dress when her daughter married in May.

Mrs Watson spent four years as director and secretary of the Fife Arts Co-operative, where colleagues praised her business acumen, common sense and the inspiring way she kept up with her activities as long as she could.

She died on October 15, 2007, just two days after her 34th wedding anniversary.

Mr Watson said the exhibition could prove a revelation to those in Newburgh unaware of the extent of his wife's work.

"Her pleasure was in creating and doing, so a lot of people knew little of what she did," he said.

Many of the exhibits will be for sale and the exhibition is free, although visitors will be asked to make a small donation in aid of Cancer Research UK.

"It's sad in that it's come about just because of Sheila's death, but it's a nice thing to do," said Mr Watson.