Artist Pam's work to benefit charity as she continues to create aged 100

A remarkable artist still creating new work at the age of 100 has gifted some of her paintings to be sold for the benefit of Highland Hospice after they go on show in Muir of Ord.

Big-hearted Pam Foster, who was one of the oldest residents of the village before moving to a care home in the Strathpeffer area last year, captured many scenes around Ross-shire in oils over the course of a very productive artist output.

She continues to work in acrylics now and her work went on display at The Hub in Muir of Ord last week.

Highland Hospice community fundraiser Katie Gibb paid tribute to the generosity of Mrs Foster who came up with the idea of selling some of her work to benefit the charity, which depends on donations to maintain its highly valued end-of-life care service.

She said: "We are so grateful to The Muir Hub for organising this event and to Pam for donating the proceeds to Highland Hospice. Pam’s paintings are absolutely fantastic and we hope this event is a great success."

Since the age of 63, Pam has painted hundreds of pictures, been a member of art groups and exhibited locally.

Until recently she also knitted clothes for infants in the special baby unit at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and was a puzzle enthusiast, winning the Ross-shire Journal crossword at the age of 99.

She celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by friends and family at the Church of Scotland Hall in the village last year after a neighbour of 36 years’ standing, Joyce Fraser, decided to organise something special to mark the milestone event.

Mrs Foster was also joined by friends from the local WRI and art group, along with staff and residents of the care home she was about to move to. Mrs Foster’s nieces and nephews from as far afield as the Canary Islands, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Sussex headed north for the event.

Her birthday cake, baked by a relative, was shaped as an artist’s palette to represent one of her great passions in life.

Mrs Foster was born in Surrey and spent her childhood with her three siblings in Kent, where her father had a grocery business.

She started her working life in an office at a department store and then worked as a secretary mainly with legal firms, in England and Edinburgh.

Mrs Foster said she and her husband Tony had been "gradually moving up the country" before settling in their cottage in Muir of Ord. Her husband passed away in January 2012.

Asked the secret of her long life, she said: "I’ve been asked this before and I always say ‘pure living’, but of course it’s not! I’ve lived a normal sort of life and I’ve been lucky, particularly with my health."

In recent years she has taken up using an iPad, can send emails and enjoys playing Candy Crush.

Exhibition and sale days at The Muir Hub, which is on Great North Road, will be staged until Thursday between 9.30am and 4pm.