FAMILY and friends gathered to welcome Jim Douglas when he arrived to view a collection of his work at Kelty Community Centre.

Born in the village, the popular artist, poet and songwriter aims to capture the essence of life in a mining community through pictures and verse.

A spokesperson from Kelty Community Council said: "As he was shown around the exhibits, Jim entertained his audience with anecdotes about the characters and situations depicted in his paintings.

"He is noted for including a mouse, somewhere, in his humorous pictures and people can be seen searching for them, especially on the large collage at the entrance to the library."

The exhibition has been made possible by a partnership between the community council, Fife Cultural Trust and Maureen Walker, the community resources coordinator at Fife Council. Mrs Betty Rodden, a member of Kelty Community Council, has been the driving force to get the pictures out of storage and back to Kelty, where they can be enjoyed by members of the community.

The spokesperson added: "Jim’s work provides a glimpse of the industrial and social development of Kelty and is a valuable and entertaining record of our heritage."

The exhibition is free to view at Kelty Community Centre, 92 Main Street.

Please note that there is restricted access to the exhibition during school hours.