Fine Arts Whanganui announces Don Hill exhibition and first solo show for Lily Claypole

Artist Don Hill will be exhibiting his distinctive oil paintings at fine Arts Whanganui this month. Photo/Supplied

Scenes of rural life are vividly depicted in Don Hill's paintings and a Whanganui exhibition of his works opens next week.

Hill's upcoming exhibition In the Landscape will be showing at Whanganui Fine Arts Gallery on Taupō Quay.

His work is well-known to locals as he has lived in the Whanganui region for a few years and only recently returned to his "old stomping ground of South Wairarapa".

He has been painting for over 20 years and his rural landscapes are often populated by men on horseback with their dogs and livestock.

Oil paints are Hill's preferred medium and he enjoys creating his often rugged subjects with the creamy textures.

"My paintings evoke strong feelings of nostalgia for a way of life that is increasingly disappearing," he says.

On the River Road by Don Hill

Hill's work has been shown at the Fine Arts Gallery before as he was one of the original 12 artists in the collective when the gallery first opened its doors in 2015.

As some members have moved on to open their own galleries or pursue other commitments, new artists have joined the collective to provide a rich sampling of local works for sale at the gallery.

In 2017, Fine Arts Whanganui initiated the first Young Artists Scholarship which was won by Mikayla Baldwin who also received the People's Choice Award.

Lily Claypole was the 2018 winner and Wairua-Pohe Takiari received the People's Choice Award.

The winner receives a $1000 prize and a solo exhibition of their work at Whanganui Fine Arts Gallery.

Claypole's exhibition of her photography and printmaking work will be showing in June with the opening date to be finalised.

Young Artist Scholarship 2018 winner Lily Claypole will hold her first solo exhibition in June. Photo/Liz Wylie

Meanwhile, Fine Arts Whanganui will be contacting schools and other youth centred outlets to encourage young artists to submit work for the 2019 Young Artist Scholarship.

Entry forms will be available at the Fine Arts Whanganui Gallery and online at fineartswhanganui.com

Don Hill: In the Landscape, Fine Arts Whanganui Gallery, 17 Taupō Quay. May 11 until May 30.