OAS Vice-Patron and Life Member, Joan Hardey said she preferred to see her role as a ‘selector’ or ‘chooser’ rather than the inference of being judgemental about the exhibited works.

“Vibrant impressionist work where the artist with great control of the impasto paint uses colour and contrasts with flair. He knows exactly where to place a nice juicy colour accent. This is a composition in horizontal sections of lovely mixed colour from the warm dark foreground up to the multicoloured pastel sky. I feel this artist’s work shows his joy in painting which then spreads to us.”

“This artist has an inventive, quirky imagination and likes to combine disparate elements to create a new and interesting story. Her painting is titled ‘Balancing Act’ for obvious reasons and she is also adept at using her skills to balance the painting of fluffy birds against the stones.”

“This is a skilfully painted oil in soft colours of fairly even weight with a soft luminosity to it. In David Hockney’s recent documentary he talked of eye-balling your subject – you need to BE there and experience it – and I feel this artist was in this restful landscape with the sudden drama of the river in flood and felt the urge to paint it and share it with us.”