LEDBURY'S Shell House Gallery is showing its first ever exhibition of oil paintings from February 11 until March 24.

Shell House, known mainly as a watercolour gallery showing work predominantly by members of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, is to show work by members of Royal Institute of Oil Painters and its president Olwen Tarrant, the first woman president in the Institute's 113-year history.

Olwen, who has a studio near the Malvern Hills in Upper Welland and an-other in the north of Mal-lorca, produces instantly recognisable work with a distinctive style and strong use of colour.

Only the 13th president in the institute's long history, she produces landscape scenes from the three counties but her versatile approach also allows her to take on a wide variety of subjects, including still life.

"I look at the names of previous and present members and I am immensely proud to be president," said Olwen. "It makes no difference these days whether you are a man or a woman: the essential point is whether you are a good artist."