YORK artists Valerie and Richard Bell are exhibiting Colour In Harmony, 30 works in pastel and watercolour, at Beningbrough Hall, near York, until July 28.

"We chose the title for the warmth of colour and sunlight we both love to put into our paintings," says Richard.

The paintings include landscapes and coastal scenes from the couple's travels around Britain and Europe, while several of Valerie's floral and fruit paintings come from visits to the Beningbrough Hall gardens.

"Having seen many of the Iona paintings by the Scottish Colourists, we just had to visit Iona last year and see it for ourselves," says Richard. "We could not fail to be inspired by what we found: a peaceful island with beautiful beaches of clean white sand, pink rocks, blue seas and a wonderful clear light. Both of us have tried to recapture that atmosphere in our Iona paintings."

Staithes, the Yorkshire fishing village, was another magnet. "It inspired the Staithes Group of artists many years ago and now it inspires me," says Richard, who painted one of his studies of Staithes in Acomb Library when artist in residence there.

Valerie, meanwhile, has followed in the footsteps of Van Gogh with her paintings of the sunflower fields of Dordogne, France. She has painted for many years, having studied art at York College; Richard took up his paint brushes eight years ago when he retired from his career as a civil engineer.

Colour In Harmony is open from 11am to 5.30pm, Friday to Wednesday.

Updated: 16:11 Thursday, July 22, 2004