A DARLINGTON artist has won a big award for a little painting.

Gina Morton, from Darlington, has won the President’s Special Commendation at this year’s annual exhibition of the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers.

The artist described the commendation as an “honour”.

She said: “It has taken me quite a lot of goes to get up to a standard acceptable by the society.

“I’ve since won quite a lot of awards.”

The award-winning painting was a miniature composition featuring fox hounds, entitled Kennel Mates.

Miss Morton visited the Great Yorkshire Show, in Harrogate, to find inspiration for the work, taking a large number of photographs of hounds, mainly from the Bedale Hunt.

The exhibition will be held at The Mall Galleries, in London, from October 14-26.

Miss Morton’s award will be presented by Lord David Boyle, Earl of Glasgow, at a private viewing on October 13.

The society shows about 700 works at its annual exhibition. One painting is selected for the top award, the Gold Memorial Bowl, which Miss Morton won in 2005.

As well as receiving recognition for her miniature paintings, Miss Morton’s watercolours have also received widespread acclaim.

Two of her paintings were selected for the A1 Open Exhibition at The Station, in Richmond, this summer, and a recent exhibition of her watercolours, acrylics and miniatures was held at Darlington Arts Centre.

A 2009 calendar featuring reproductions of her paintings of Darlington has been commissioned by Darlington Tourist Information Centre.