AN ACCRINGTON artist said he was delighted by the Queen’s reaction to a portrait he presented to her during her visit.

Nature and wildlife artist Peter Sherburne was asked to create a special portrait featuring a ‘working dog’ and local scenery especially for Her Majesty’s visit to the town.

The painting featured an English Springer Spaniel, a breed of gun dog, which the Queen owns in the foreground of an Oswaldtwistle moorland scene.

The 63-year-old artist has worked as a commercial and professional artist since leaving school.

He said: “She told me it was lovely twice and made a real effort to study it. Of course the first comment was expected but when she repeated how much she liked it, I was really pleased.

“The Queen was so pleasant and made us feel at ease. She even made a point of shaking my wife Val’s hand, even though she wasn’t on the list of people to meet the Queen.

“It made all the late nights and long hours I spent working on the painting worthwhile.”