The parents of an artist who suddenly collapsed and died have paid tribute to their daughter.

Artist Jo Keeling, who exhibited striking planetary-scapes at a London gallery, died of an aneurysm on Saturday after she collapsed the night before.

Her mother, Maggie Keeling, said: "Jo complained of a serious head and neck ache on Friday evening, which must have come on quite quickly.

"Then, at about 8pm, she just collapsed. About and hour and a half later she was in resuscitation and it was bad news from there."

She said Jo had been fit and healthy beforehand and that her death was a shock to everyone.

Jo, 27, lived at the family home in Lloyd Road, Hove, with her mother, father David, and younger brother and sister Rich, 21, and Emma, 25.

Mrs Keeling said: "The emotion comes in huge waves. We have had tremendous support from all our friends and Jo's.

"We have the comfort of knowing Jo didn't suffer and that there wasn't anything that could have been done to prevent it. It didn't happen when she was alone or driving and her death will help other people because she donated a number of her organs."

Mr and Mrs Keeling got to the Shakespeare's Head pub in Chatham Place, Seven Dials, where Jo had been enjoying a night out with friends, just as the ambulance arrived on Friday.

Mr Keeling went with Jo to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, where she failed to fully regain consciousness and was pronounced dead shortly after 2pm on Saturday.

A respected artist in the city, Jo painted remarkable planetary-scapes using materials such as zinc, aluminium and pewter powders, paint, acid and varnish, which continued chemical reactions on the canvas long after they were applied.

She attended West Blatchington Infant School, Brighton, Hove High School and Varndean sixth-form college before studying fine art at Northumbria University.

She worked on a software support helpdesk for an insurance broker and painted in her spare time.

Mrs Keeling said: "Her main love was painting. That was her passion. She always had artistic talent. She spent three months in Finland where she got a lot of inspiration from the snowscapes."

Mr Keeling added: "She was quite taken by the light there and the purity of the snow. That progressed to more lunar-type and planetary landscapes. She was always experimenting with different processes."

Jo exhibited some of her work with friend and fellow artist Perdita Sinclair at the Brighton Festival in 2003. Last October they exhibited their work at the Waterloo Gallery in London.

Jo's work was displayed in Claremont House Hotel in Hove as well as in Bath, Lewes and the Zimmer Stewart Gallery in Arundel. She was due to exhibit at the Canvas Gallery, Seven Dials, later this year.

Mrs Keeling said: "So many people were absolutely delighted because she would let them touch her paintings. Some people are almost afraid of art but Jo was happy for them to do that."

Describing her daughter, Mrs Keeling said: "She made friends very easily and had a lot of very good ones. She had a very sarcastic sense of humour, was almost always late and loved animals and children.

"She was very direct and could form opinions quite quickly. She was beautiful in every way."

Miss Sinclair said: "Jo's work was very popular. She managed to make it very good and accessible. That's rare, especially in painting.

"To work alongside one of your best friends who has the same passion as you is great."

Claire Fearon, who founded the Canvas Gallery where Jo was due to exhibit, said: "Not only was Jo an extremely talented artist but a genuinely lovely person. I am sure everyone within the arts community in Brighton will miss her."

Jo's funeral will be held at noon on May 25 at St Peter's Church, West Blachington, Hove.