Alresford Art Society organisers are over the moon as their 2023 exhibition broke all records by notching up nearly 900 visitors and artwork sales of £3,500.

With exhibits in watercolour, oil, acrylic, pastel, collage and mixed media, as well as sculpture and wire, there was something for everyone.

Hundreds of visitors took part in the People’s Choice competition, voting for their favourite exhibit. Jeannie Pakenham scooped the prize for the second year running with her watercolour painting Owl on a Post (pictured).

The exhibition was sponsored for the sixth year by Hellards estate agents and opened by contemporary artist Paul Treasure who said he was blown away by the quality and diversity of the paintings.

After travelling the world, Paul now lives in Ropley and specialises in painting its famous chalk streams in oil. “Paint what you love and what inspires you,” he said, “and you can’t go wrong.”

The other exhibition winners were Best Watercolour and Best Floral – The First Blossom by Clifford D’Souza; Best Oil – The River at Alresford by Penny Claisse; Best Acrylic – Dell Quay by Richard Cox; Best Mixed Media – Fly Away by Emma Barker; Best 3D – Fox by Jen Boardman.

The winner of the Best New Exhibitor prize was Fiona Scott Morton, for Woodpecker.