Catherine Bell, the only Yorkshire artist elected to the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, is exhibiting eight works at the Blake Gallery, Blake Street, York, until May 21.
She is celebrating a double success this year, having won the Stuart Defries Award at the Royal Institute's annual exhibition at The Mall Galleries, London, and three principal prizes awarded by the Society of Botanical Artists.
Her past awards include a prize from the Royal Watercolour Society, and her work has been widely published in books and magazine articles.
Catherine's paintings usually depict flowers, fruit and vegetables, observed in botanical gardens and other collections in Britain and Europe. "These plants are not sweet or sentimental in character - they have attitude," says Blake Gallery taste master Michael Hourston.
"They are proud and boastful when gloriously beautiful, or sometimes just plain threatening, particularly when the plants are jungle species or close-ups of our more weird vegetables."
On sale at £275 to £650, Catherine's paintings form part of a mixed display that incorporates new work by Tom Wanless, Walter Holmes, Ian Layton and Piers Browne, whose portfolio includes rare etchings from his book of Wordsworth poetry.
The Blake Gallery is open 10am to 5pm daily, except Tuesdays and Sundays.
Updated: 16:29 Thursday, May 05, 2005
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