THE eighth Palace Art Fest will be taking place in the Great Hall of the Bishop’s Palace and the palace gardens, Hereford, throughout the spring bank holiday weekend.

It all starts with a preview evening on Friday, May 24.

The exhibition is an eclectic mix of paintings, sculpture and ceramics by 42 artists from Herefordshire and the surrounding regions.

It aims not only to showcase local talent but to support the Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust and the Friends of Hereford Three Choirs Festival with the funds raised from commissions on sales.

The small voluntary committee which organises the event invited previous popular artists to re-enter, with a selection panel making the final choice.

“About 50 per cent of the work in the exhibition is by artists new to the event,” says Elizabeth Vaughan, chairman of the Artfest committee. “It has always been our intention to keep bringing in new people and to keep a spread of original work across all media.

“The only prints allowed are from printmakers.”

Among the artists featured in this year’s exhibition are Kathy Priddis, who has exhibited every year since the first event in 2005, ceramicist Georgina Fowler, textile artist Angela Bentley and sculptor Claudia Petley.

Also exhibiting is David Barnes, whose successful career as a self-taught artist began in Hereford five years ago with a near sell-out exhibition during Herefordshire Art Week.

David only picked up a paintbrush in 2002, following retirement from his career as an accountant, prompted by visiting an exhibition by Sir Kyffin Williams at Cardiff’s Albany Gallery.

“I went with a view to buying a painting, but the cheapest painting was £36,000 and the one I wanted was £60,000.

“I wasn’t going to spend that sort of money and decided that I’d learn to paint like that instead.”

Tickets for the Palace Artfest preview on Friday, May 24, 5.30pm to 8pm, are available at palace-artfest.co.uk or from Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust on 01432 374261.