AN exhibition by a group formed almost 150 years ago has opened at Wordsley’s Red House Glass Cone.

The Easel Club, which was founded in 1879 by professional artist Edmund Watson, is currently presenting a number of pieces by its members at the popular borough museum.

Mr Watson, whose sketches for the ‘Graphic Illustrations of Warwickshire’ are now stored in the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, wished to create a group where the principles of art fellowship and a serious commitment to highest ideals in art were key.

The group continues to meet monthly and holds to the core values of its founders with a serious commitment to the highest standards in art; monthly meetings consist of searching appraisals of members’ work in progress.

Pieces in the exhibition at the Red House Glass Cone, which are for sale and range in price from £180 to £850, include Keith Turley’s portrait of a chain maker in oil and acrylic, Paul Hipkiss’ intricate landscape lino prints, as well as a range of portraits, nudes, landscapes, sea scenes and cityscapes in a range of media.

Local scenes include Wayne Attwood’s ‘Staffs & Worcester Canal, Wombourne’, Brian Fletcher’s ‘Stuart Crystal Ruins, Before Restoration’, ‘Red House Cone’, ‘Brierley Flats’ and ‘Red House Cone, Sunset’, and Robert Swingler’s ‘Chain Maker’ and ‘Stourbridge’.

The free exhibition runs until June 19 at the High Street museum, which is open between 10am and 3pm Monday to Friday, and 11am until 4pm at weekends.