A MUM whose partner died in a tragic railway accident has used her passion for painting to help overcome grief.

And now Dawn Hilton has opened an art gallery to display her work.

Dawn was left distraught when her partner of 15 years, Andrew Jackson Warner, 41, was found dead on a section of track near Church in December 2006.

The father-of-four was thought to have been taking a shortcut after a night out when he was fatally injured by a Colne to Blackpool train.

Dawn, of Howarth Avenue, Church, was left to bring up their two sons Andrew Jnr, eight, and Hadleigh, four.

She said: "Since I lost Andrew I have thrown myself into my art and painted over 100 paintings.

"There have been some dark times and I realised I have been using my art as therapy.

"My eldest son has helped me build a website and we have been using this to help us come to terms with the trauma and shock of losing Andrew.

"Fourteen months on and we are all stronger in ourselves.

"Though the pain is still there we are pulling together to heal our hearts as one."

After having one of her pieces - a painting of the London Eye - shown at the Haworth Art Gallery, Dawn decided to open a creative space of her own.

The Hilton Gallery, above an antiques shop in Blackburn Road, Accrington, will open on April 15.

Dawn is renting the space for a "nominal amount" and expects to cover her costs by staging other exhibitions. When I saw the space I knew it was crying out to be a gallery," said Dawn, who is entirely self-taught as an artist.

"It has got two large rooms for exhibitions and I will be displaying my own pieces in the corridor."

The first artists to take up residence will be from Accrington and Rossendale College, with youngsters exhibiting work that they have created through an art project in conjunction with Liverpool-based Zap Graffiti.

Dawn added: "It is rentable space for artists and I have people interested from as far away as India. I also have bookings from New Zealand and Canada for the coming months and into next year.

"I would like my gallery to be able to hold twice-yearly exhibitions free of charge to local groups, charities, hospitals, prisons and for people using art as therapy.

"I am very excited about it all and feel at last there is a bright future for myself and our boys."

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