CARRY Akroyd and her friends – Andrew Haslen, Nik Pollard, Sue Shields and Anna Sweeten – have created a joyful and often intriguing exhibition at the Zillah Bell Gallery in Thirsk.

Each, in their own way, explore the inter-relationships between nature, landscapes and human habitation. This is encapsulated by Sweeten’s mesmerising Shoormil, in which the buildings of a small fishing community in the Shetlands provide the backdrop to the deliciously detailed pebbles in the foreground.

The intensity of that shoreline is increased by including a dead gull among those jewel-like pebbles.

She can take up to three years to complete a picture as she works with egg tempera, constructing a subtle luminosity with a limited palette.

In contrast, there is the stark rawness of a rocky wilderness as captured in Pollard’s ink, acrylic and conte Dinas 2, or his atmospheric black and white Indian ink on paper studies of ruined buildings.

And then there are Akroyd’s pictures – so full of vital colours as she shares her fascination for what she sees as “unlabelled countryside trying to survive alongside agribusiness.” This exhibition shows how she can select different media to explore this theme as in the vivid acrylic, A Small Lake, and the serigraph with monoprinting used for Flocking.

The intriguing mix of art continues with the picture stories in the black and white lino cuts by Sue Shields, such as that of Jonah and the Whale.

Andrew Haslen’s wildlife portraits are bold and powerful, whether of a delightful winter hare or of a kingfisher. His linocut and screenprint pictures reminded many of stained glass windows.

The exhibition is open from 10am-5pm, Monday to Fridays, until Saturday, April 17.

Pip Land