LOCAL artist John Harris is preparing a collection of fresh paintings for display in his 39th Annual Inkberrow Exhibition.

With many years of practice behind him, John adapts easily to what he feels appropriate to the subject.

A spokesman for the exhibition said: "When painting his atmospheric watercolours for the galleries he supplies in the Middle East and Africa, where the landscapes are vast, he works swiftly on a large scale with big brushes loaded with water, making broad washes, which he waits for patiently to dry, repeating them until finally, referring to his sketch books, he’s ready to add in the detail.

"In contrast, his wildlife studies and village views demand much detailed work, with photography to supplement the info collected by sketching."

Visiting the Northumberland coast recently John enjoyed sketching its famous islands and castles.

The flatlands of North Norfolk found him working on big skies and interesting waterways. The ever-changing Severn Estuary will always catch his eye with its potential for reflected light, and amongst the nearby Brecon Beacons, his interest turns to abstraction.

Although wandering far and wide, it isn’t unusual to find John working on home ground: village views and local landscapes, the Malvern Hills, the Avon and the Severn.

The exhibition at the Bowls Pavilion, Sands Road, Inkberrow, will be open from Saturday, November 23 to Friday, November 29, from 10am-5pm.

Admission is free. For more details, go to harris-watercolours.co.uk