A NEW gallery and gift shop in Ross-on-Wye has got off to a great start.

Urchins Gallery in Croft Court opened for the first time on Good Friday.

It will specialise in showing the best work from artists from the area with birds and wildlife playing a big part.

The gallery, which also includes an artisan gift show, is a joint venture set up by Tara Slater (TLSKiwi) and Julie Cannon (Watercolour Puddles) to showcase their work.

ALSO READ:

Ms Cannon is a mixed media artist working mainly in watercolours, who has a passion for birdlife and wildlife found on her doorstep in the Forest of Dean. She also gets distracted by creatures from further afield.

Vintage finds, steampunk and childhood memories all help to inspire her daily and find themselves wound into the stories behind her unique illustrations.

Ms Slater is a printmaker and mixed media artist inspired by a lifelong love of animals and with a keen interest in the natural world. She explores these subjects mainly through the medium of linoprint and is also developing work in the relatively unknown medium of paintcarving.

The idea came after the couple started exhibiting and selling their work during the pandemic.

“We have got off to a good start,” said Ms Cannon.

“There are lots of tourists in Ross as well as locals.”

She said that some of the exhibits are inexpensive whilst others will be sold for several hundreds of pounds.

The gallery is taking part in the farOpen Art trail in Ross on Wye from July 1 until July 5.

It is open each week from Wednesday through to Sunday between 10am and 4pm.