Hundreds of relatives and friends filled a church to pay a final tribute to an artist who died suddenly this month.

Jo Keeling, 27, who exhibited striking "planetary-scapes" at a London gallery, died of an aneurysm on May 14 after she collapsed the night before.

Yesterday, family and friends joined Jo's parents, David and Maggie Keeling, and siblings Emma, 25, and Rich, 21, at St Peter's Church in West Blatchington for her funeral.

Pall bearers carried Jo's wicker coffin, decorated with purple ribbon and salmon pink flowers, past dozens of mourners into the packed church to the sound of Ben E King's Stand By Me.

A number of poems were read by close family and friends and cousin Megan Phelps sang a psalm.

Jo's father David paid tribute to his daughter. He said: "Jo enjoyed 27 years of fun-filled life and Maggie, Emma, Rich and I rejoice in the time we had.

"One of Jo's passions was gardening, which started at an early age. Maggie and I remember her at about 18 months old, sitting on an upturned pot helping plant seeds. She loved watching plants grow."

He said the garden was now a special place for the family to remember Jo.

Mr Keeling spoke of his daughter's ease at making and keeping close friends and her love of art.

He said: "Her art was her main passion. Her spirit lives on in her art and is testimony to her creativity."

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

A copy of one of Jo's paintings was given out to the congregation to keep.

Mr Keeling said: "We are very proud of our daughter. Her courage is exemplified in her wish to be an organ donor and this has given us great comfort to know she helped those less fortunate."

Father Robin Farrow, who conducted the service, said: "It is evident she found in her art the joy of life that should be the heart of such a creative gift and she was certainly able to speak for herself through it.

"Every time I met her I was struck by how very alive and full of presence she was. She was someone you could never miss."

He then sprinkled Jo's coffin with holy water before the family left for Downs Crematorium with the coffin to the sound of Kansas's Dust In The Wind. Later they welcomed people back to the family home in Lloyd Road, Hove, to share their memories of Jo.

A collection was made for the Prince's Trust, which helps people like Jo through training and setting up small businesses.

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.