SHE started sculpting when she was just three years old and modelled an orange with some clay while attending a Montessori school.

Now, 80 years later, Sally Arnup is still going strong in her chosen career, and a new exhibition of her works will open at a York art gallery this weekend.

Sally, 83, from Holtby, near York, said about 30 of her works, featuring animals and birds, would be shown at the Blake Gallery in Blake Street.

The creatures featured include dogs, otters, deer, a cat and humming birds. The originals were mostly commissioned by their owners, with limited editions going on sale at the gallery.

She said she sculpted the humming birds last year when she went to New Mexico in America to visit Dr Peter Clout, who had founded the Fine Arts Society at the University of York about 35 years ago, but later emigrated.

She said he fed humming birds with a sweet liquid and his garden was full of the beautiful creatures. She said there would also be pottery by her daughter Hannah on display at the free exhibition, which will run from Saturday until Wednesday November 6.

She said at 11.30am on Saturday, she would be giving a short talk about her work.