Paintings and crafts by local artists are currently on display at Cookham Art Club’s 82nd exhibition in the village.
The annual summer event at Pinder Hall in Cookham Rise is free entry and features more than 300 original works of art, many of them for sale.
As well as paintings displayed on screens, visitors can browse hundreds of unframed original artwork and prints.
Exhibition organiser Wendy Mercer said: “The artworks displayed in August are all new and have not been displayed anywhere in Cookham before. [The event] encourages new work from emerging artists – we’ve got some very young artists this year who haven’t exhibited previously and it’s their first time.
“For some people, they enjoy painting but they don’t know what to do with their paintings afterwards. Some of them are so lovely and this supports and encourages them to exhibit and when they get a sale, they think, ‘oh okay, I’m not too bad after all’.”
This year, 76 artists have entered the summer exhibition with differing mediums on display including crafts such as ceramics, stoneware and prints on canvas.
Around 60 three-dimensional craft exhibits, including ceramics, embroidery, and resin work will also be displayed.
All framed paintings at the exhibition go before a selection panel consisting of three Cookham Art Club members and two professional artists – both of whom have been featured on Sky Landscape Artist of the Year.
Last year, the exhibition received 1,058 visitors but since opening this week, Wendy said the hot weather had affected attendance.
She said: “The heat did make a few less but we still had sales which was lovely. We’re often very busy on a Tuesday but I think the heat is still affecting people. But we have had sales so we can’t ask for any more than that.
“The response has been very positive. The feedback I’ve had is the quality of the work is up to its usual standards, if not better than last year.
“We’ve got beginners exhibiting amongst the professional artists and they might be on the same screen but it raises the standard for everybody and the feedback we always get is lovely.
“When you come in, you might even meet the artist of the work you like because it’s all stewarded by the artists themselves. It’s a joy to organise because all the members are so supportive.”
Cookham Art Club comprises amateur hobby artists and professionals, with around 68 members and eight non-members represented this year.
The group meets for painting sessions, artist demonstrations and workshops at various venues around Cookham.
Wendy said: “Two of them exhibit every year with us because their work is really liked by our clientele. The people that buy from us – I don’t know how many paintings they’ve got, but they must’ve run out of walls because they always buy from us.”
The GoodGym volunteer group helped Cookham Arts Club set up for the exhibition at the weekend and the summer exhibition launched on Tuesday.
It will run until Sunday, August 25 and is open daily from 10am to 6pm (until 4.45pm on the final day).
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