THE current exhibition at the Green Stage Gallery in Bishop's Frome presents new work by Abigail Humphries, Juli-anne Coward and Rob Van Hoek.

Ludlow-based Abigail is a professional artist, photographer and designer, who developed a technique of painting with sand almost 10 years ago. "Working with the sand and building up layers allows the image to quietly grow," she explains. "The paintings go through a constant process of metamorphosis as the work is moulded and eventually dries. When I produce my 'sand people' paintings, the aim is to give the viewer an opening line from a story and hope that they can fill in the rest.

Titles are also an integral part of Rob Van Hoek's work: "All the titles I use are lines (or parts of lines) from song lyrics. Mostly from pop music, sometimes a title of a jazz song - there are so many references to the landscape to be found.

"During all my years of painting I have been inspired by the cultivated landscape. The patterns, lines, rhythms and shapes of fields, a line of trees along a road, a solitary tree in a field, the houses which liven up the countryside; and of course the sky above, adding space and atmosphere.

Juli-anne Coward's distinctive rooftop paintings have resulted in numerous commissions over the years. "Asa child I chose to paint the rooftops visible from my parent’s window. I have always loved painting all kinds of buildings from ancient to the most contemporary. I believe that all buildings have a certain energy of their own which is independent of the way they are used by the people who inhabit them," she says.

The exhibition runs at GreenStage Gallery in Bishop's Frome until Sunday, November 16. For further information, call 01885 490839