ANN Petherick’s response to David Hockney’s bigger, bolder, brighter exhibitions of Wolds landscapes at the Royal Academy of Arts and York Art Gallery is to present A Different View Of The Wolds at her Kentmere House Gallery.

“Hockney’s shows in London, York and Hull [Ferens Art Gallery] have been enormously successful, both in attracting those who may not habitually visit galleries and in generating an interest in the area,” says Ann.

“Both are very welcome but those who know the Wolds may have been taken aback by the powerful colours and strong shapes.”

Hence she is exhibiting subtle pastels of the Wolds and Fens by Lincolnshire artist Keith Roper at her gallery in Scarcroft Hill, York, until July 8.

“Keith Roper’s view could not be more different from Hockney’s,” says Ann. “Keith, who has lived in the area all his life, sees the Wolds landscapes as softly coloured, subtle and atmospheric, with his inspiration taken from the ever-changing skies.

“In Keith’s paintings, these landscapes can be seen in quite a new light: quiet and restrained, but made up of an astonishing range of colours.”

Ann recalls her response to encountering Hockney’s multitude of gaudy-coloured landscapes in his A Bigger Picture show at the Royal Academy earlier this year.

“When I walked into that exhibition, my immediate thought was that if anyone visits the Wolds for the first time on the basis of these paintings, they will be very favourably surprised – because the area is so much more beautiful than the paintings suggest.

“But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe they will instead be disappointed to find that the trees are not brilliant viridian green, the skies are soft blue-greys rather than brilliant blues, and the overall effect is often hazy.”

You can sense Ann’s preference for the artwork of Keith Roper, a leading light of the Pastel Society, whose paintings have become more abstract in recent years incidentally.

“Keith is the perfect illustration of my maxim that the best artists have to be searched out,” she says. “They are the ones who don’t promote themselves but spend their time quietly painting in their attics and studios, and their dedication shows in their work.

“Keith shows regularly at Kentmere House and a new collection of his paintings is always eagerly awaited.”

Prices begin at £550, and gallery opening hours are every Thursday, 6pm to 9pm; the first weekend of each month (next up, July 7 and 8), 11am to 5pm, and at any other time by arrangement on 01904 656507.