IT is no surprise that seaside images usually dominate the work of realist painter Mike Briscoe RCA, living so close to the North Wales coast. However, for his new show at Ffin y Parc Gallery this month he is transported to the magic and romance of Venice.

The Colwyn Bay based artist, who is renowned for his attention to detail, has produced a collection of highly collectable work for his latest exhibition. He explained: “The exhibition consists of works inspired mainly from a recent trip to Venice.

“The subjects are based on reference collected mostly in the form of photographs after spending days walking along the many canals and narrow walkways and then worked on back at my studio. “The work has my own take on this fascinating city and hopefully not too much of the stereotypical tourist images.”

Gallery Owner Ralph Sanders added: “The setting is an ideal one to show Mike’s skill, his patient eye for detail and his ability to catch a fleeting feeling and to amplify a concealed mood.” The exhibition will take place at the award winning Ffin y Parc Gallery from Sunday, March 3 to 27, with the gallery space shared with fellow Welsh artists James Guy Eccleston and Colin See-Paynton RCA. “James has made another beautifully painted and meticulously rigorous collection,” added Ralph. Born in 1972, James trained at Bourneville College and Wolverhampton University and studied under R O Lenkiewicz for eight years.

“After years of looking at portraits and figures in galleries for their fabrics I'm introducing my own subjects that can look back at me and be arranged as characters in their own right,” explained James. To select the works for Colin See-Paynton’s show, Gallery owner Ralph spent the day with the famous wood engraver and chose his personal favourite pieces from a lifetime of Colin’s work.

Colin moved to Wales in 1972 and started teaching himself engraving and began making prints in 1980. He has since become one of the most successful and highly regarded wood-engravers in the UK. Ralph added: “Some of these engraving are very rare and we are delighted to host this wonderful show.”