A newly-graduated artist is hoping to be spotted when she takes part in an exhibition in London.

Hilary Ellis, from Northfleet, will be exhibiting at the prestigious Mall Galleries, opposite Buckingham Palace, from February 13 to 16.

Her work will be part of a group exhibition the first organised by the British Society of Graduate Artists and Designers. Nearly 80 members of the society of all ages and from all over the UK will be showing work in a range of styles and substances, both in 2D and 3D.

Ellis graduated from a three-year degree course at Kent Institute of Art and Design last summer at the age of 40. She has always been interested in painting and drawing but a young family and other jobs distracted her from pursuing her dream.

She told Leisuretime: "I do slip cast cylindrical pieces and decorate them with glass and silver. They really are purely decorative pieces as opposed to functional."

The work is in solid silver and her pieces in this exhibition range from £55 to about £136.

She said: "The more places your work is, the more you are seen, the better the chance you will meet an interesting contact and maybe even get a commission."

Most of the work on show will be for sale so, who knows, you could spot the next Damien Hurst and scoop a valuable piece at a bargain price.

- Feb 13-16, First Exhibition by the British Society of Graduate Artists and Designers, Mall Galleries, The Mall, SW1, £2.50/£1 concs, 0870 241 5851. Hilary Ellis can be contacted on 01474 359583.