Mary Ann Rogers is one of the UK’s foremost wildlife artists and you can see her latest exhibition ‘Force of Nature’ at her own gallery this June and July.

I’m forever in awe of the life that Mary Ann Rogers manages to breathe into her paintings with just a few swishes of her trusty brush. Her paintings thrum with the glorious sights that make up the world around us, from the first snowdrops of spring through to the oystercatchers, kingfishers and goosanders that populate Northumberland – surely the nation’s most beautiful county. Using vibrant pure colour, Rogers faithfully records what she sees and feels, and her daily walks lead on to her encounters with the birds, hares, deer and even otters that live near her home (Rogers is also a faithful wild-swimmer, which, I assume, informs her work, but her dedication definitely falls into the “rather you than me” category given the temperature of Northumbrian rivers…). The exhibition opens with a special preview weekend on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 June with visitors able to indulge themselves with a glass of bubbly or afternoon tea. Sold!

Force of Nature: Mary Ann Rogers, preview weekend Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 June, exhibition then runs to 9 July (usual hours, Tues, Thurs, Fri 10am-4pm plus Sunday 2-5pm), Mary Ann Rogers Gallery, West Woodburn, Hexham, NE48 2SE, https://marogers.com/