ALRESFORD Art Society’s 2016 exhibition boasted a delightful display of the highest quality and it drew visitors from miles around.

Not only was the standard of exhibits high but the variety of styles and subject matter made for an exciting viewing, with entries in mosaic, linocut and sculpture as well as acrylic, ink, oil, watercolour and pastel.

Jeannie Pakenham, from Owslebury, won The People’s Choice prize with her watercolour painting Crazy Bird. The winner is selected each year by visitors to the exhibition who vote for their favourite artwork.

The Rachel Thomsen Watercolour Prize was won for the second year by Ann Hart, of Ropley, for her painting Mother’s Day Blooms. The prize is given in memory of one of the Society’s most talented watercolourists. A new category for Best New Exhibitor went to Chrissie Landale, from Winchester, for her acrylic painting of Carnival in Venice.

County councillor Jackie Porter was invited to do the honours and officially launched the exhibition. A good friend to the Society, Jackie declared that thanks to her last art society purchase she had had to completely change the colour scheme of her dining room to go with the painting.

In the past, art society members had enjoyed a painting day at Jackie and Mark Porter’s magnificent garden, painting among the blooms.

Jackie congratulated exhibition organiser Gillian McCallum and her team for an excellent exhibition, acknowledging all the hard work behind the scenes that goes into creating such an event.