A RIVERSIDE gallery is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an exhibition of work by its old and new friends.

North House Gallery, in Manningtree, is showcasing a host of artwork by a handful of skilled artists.

Included in the exhibition is the work of Esmond Bingham, Kate Boxer, John Christie, John Cobb, Daisy Cook, May Cornet, John Dougill, Helengai Harbottle, Fergus Hare, Vanessa Jackson, Alan Kitching, Oliver Soskice and Telfer Stokes.

Penelope Hughes-Stanton, owner and director, said: “The gallery began almost by accident in 1999 after I hung my father’s wood and lino engravings around what had been his studio in North House.

“After a surprisingly successful inaugural show I turned to my friends Vanessa Jackson and John Dougill for the next two exhibitions followed by my former partner Norman Ackroyd.

“Since then hundreds of artists have presented themselves or been recommended by friends and their work has appeared in 165 shows, an average of eight shows a year.”

For the show plywood sculptures by Esmond Bingham and paintings by Helengai Harbottle have been retained from their recent solo exhibitions.

There will be a selection from the large stock of gently humorous prints by Kate Boxer.

John Christie is bringing elements related to My Blue Heaven, an installation for the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich.

John Cobb makes sculpture, angular or curvy depending on the type of wood. Daisy Cook’s abstract oil paintings are studies in Prussian Blue.

May Cornet’s immaculate gouache paintings of Zimmerlinde leaves relate in a mysterious way to her ancestry. Vanessa Jackson’s geometric abstract paintings contrast with those of her late husband John Dougill which are based on landscape, more particularly the sea and the sky.

Fergus Hare also focuses on the sky in his landscape paintings and is a passionate observer of the moon and other celestial bodies.

The exhibition is running from May 11 until June 29.

For more information visit, northhousegallery.co.uk.