AN art gallery in Chard is holding its September exhibition – featuring seascapes, landscapes, animal life and wildlife.

The Gallery Café Bar and Bistro on Holyrood Street are showing the work of Taunton artist Shelley Langford and Maggie Hohmann from Chard.

Maggie is originally from West Bagborough on the Quantock Hills and has been painting since she was ten years old – but this is her first major exhibition. She paints watercolours as she is asthmatic and cannot work in any other medium.

Having worked in the civil service for an experimental farm in Exmoor with the Ministry of Agriculture for 20 years, Maggie’s art provides her with escapism from looking after her blind mother who is 82.

Maggie, whose partner is Kevin Woods, owner of Woods Taxis said: “It is overwhelming for me really having this exhibition – I’m a quiet, shy person really – but I enjoy the escapism of being able to do my artwork.”

Shelley Langford used to work in London and studied a degree in Textile Design at Surrey Institute. For the last five years he has been focusing on his artwork, which is largely seascapes.

Shelley said: “I head out to a beach in all weathers and it is a case of away I go. I have always painted but it is more recently I have been doing it properly and I have shown locally at a couple of galleries.”

The galleries where Shelley has shown are in Taunton and Weston-super- Mare and he was also selected to feature in the summer exhibition at The Royal Academy this year.

TO find out more about the artists and the exhibition contact The Gallery on 01460-261001, or go to http://www.gallerychard.co.uk .