An Amman Valley artist has played a part in the reopening of an iconic landmark.

The work of artist Tina Francis, from Gwaun cae Gurwen, is currently on display at Cefn Coed Colliery Museum, which officially reopened on May 1 after being closed for 14 months.

The former coal mine-turned museum was closed last year for a renovation work to save the winding structures that sit above the mine.

The site initially opened in the late 1920s to mine high-quality coal known as anthracite. It closed in 1968, but some of its buildings were kept to provide access to the Blaenant drift nearby.

When Blaenant Colliery closed its doors in 1990, the shafts were allowed to fill with water, and maintainance on the headframes stopped.

The site became a museum in the 1980s.

The headframes, which are now owned by the Welsh Government, were deemed to be in dangerous condition but following the competition of the work over the last 14 months, the museum team held a grand re-opening over Easter weekend.

During the four day Easter weekend celebrations, over 1,000 people visited the museum.

Artist Tina said: “I have loaned my collection of paintings depicting the miners of Tairgwaith open cast mine to the museum until the end of September.

“When I first started created these paintings two years ago I decided to use the faces of real miners to represent the hard work sing free hand oils on canvas.

“It is a subject close to my heart as I have witnessed the closure of two local opencast mines with the loss of nearly 200 men and I have seen how it effects the community.

“I become involved in the open cast mining industry through my husband and his fellow miners who didn't know if they were going to be out of a job.

“I decided to paint the real faces of the real men to represent the hard work and their lives.

“The collection is a tribute to the local miners and features 14 different paintings which can all be visited at the museum.”

The artist is also featured in Art Share Love magazine this month as one of the top 10 industrial artists in the country.

A spokesman for Neath Port Talbot Council said: “The Friends of Cefn Coed Museum have been busy working in partnership with Neath Port Talbot Libraries and Museum staff to get the museum open to the public for the new season.

“These preparations include a new art exhibition by local artist, Tina Francis, including portraits inspired by local miners and a new memorial garden is designed by the Friends group.”