There is no stopping 80-year-old Penallt woman Helen Scourse, as she celebrates the launch of her new book.

The full colour sketch-book is described by the author as an autobiography with sketches. "I thought it would be useful for my children and friends to have my life story written down, and nice for other artists to see my work," she said.

Known by many for her and her late husband Peter's work with injured birds of prey in the area, Helen still runs Gwent Hawk Rescue from her back garden, now receiving help to manage the birds in her care. Some of the money from the proceeds of the book will go towards a new roof for the rescued birds' aviary.

The remainder of the money will go to Hands Around the World (HATW). "I never would have been an artist if I had had the life of some of these poor children in Africa that HATW helps" said Helen; "I'm so lucky".

Despite suffering from Parkinsons for the past five years, Helen is not one to be held back by the condition. Still living in the same remote house that has been her home for the past 40 years, the determined artist has taken to painting larger and more ambitious pieces after admitting that she has had difficulty working in detail since the onset of the disease.

"I have no balance with it, and I get giddy a lot of the time. It is a rotten thing to have, and very handi-capping. I can't drive any more and it has affected my work.

"You can see the difference between the work I used to do and the what I do now. I used to like to do little sketches, but I can't manage the detailing now."

Helen was celebrating at her 80th birthday party when she was approached about publishing her sketches, and with about 30 sketch-books around the house she was never short of material. "I have always painted, I used to illustrate my handbooks in school," she said.

After teaching at Chepstow School at its Larkfield site for 20 years and spending six years as president of the Wye Valley Arts Society, it would seem that this dedicated artist is still keen to support new talent: "I can't impress on you enough that if you have any sort of skill you have to keep at it and it gets better. It is never too late to learn to paint. It is just copying shapes and spaces and that is how an artist learns to draw."

Helen has two children and one grandchild and says the support of the husband she lost five years ago was always crucial: "I have been so fortunate in having a patient husband. He was never a painter but he was my biggest critic."

The book contains more than 50 examples of the author's sketches, all recreated by Rhodri Clarke of Clarke Printing.

The book, 'Drawn from Life- Pages from an Artist's Sketch-Book' is priced at £15 and is available from Stephen's Bookshop on Monmouth's Church Street or by calling Mrs Scourse a home on 01600 860458 or Mrs Harper on 01600 713528.