A "NAGGING" mum persuaded Sue Rubira to get out her oils and enter a painting competition to mark the Queen's 80th birthday.

And now she's glad she did -- just four days before the closing date -- after being crowned the outright winner of a Daily Mail competition which received more than 8,000 entries.

Mrs Rubira, from Hedge End, currently has an exhibition of portraits of family and friends, including her husband, Carlos, and her three children, running at Southampton City Gallery -- a prize for winning another competition.

But she said she initially thought she was too busy to bother with the newspaper contest.

Mrs Rubira, who studied at the Royal College of Art in the 1980s, said: "It probably took me about three days.

"I went on the internet and got photos and chose the one I thought would work, and did it from that."

The 46-year-old publicity-shy artist said she hoped something positive might result from her latest win.

Her win netted her a £500 cash prize, and the same amount in art materials.

Mrs Rubira also runs art classes at The Romsey School.

Her exhibition at Southampton City Gallery runs until Tuesday, April 18.