he recently established Persian Shop, at 18 New Street, Chipping Norton, is now acting as a venue for art exhibitions in its upper rooms. The shop is at the entrance to the town’s main car park. It’s hard to miss because a beautiful selection of Persian rugs are displayed in the window.

The artists on show are photographer David McGill and artist Rita Wheatley, who works mostly in acrylics and oils, though her collection on show includes a couple of silk screen prints. Both artists live in Hook Norton.

David sees himself, first and foremost, a photographer of Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties, but he admits his work is fairly eclectic as he tends to photograph anything that appeals to him. This means his collection on show at the moment include snow scenes, punts on the River Cherwell, the Rollright Stones (pictured) and the Devil’s Chimney, Cheltenham, which are for sale framed or as mounted prints. He has included a delightful picture of penguins, taken at Boulders Beach, South Africa, and a splendid shot of a frosty stile, taken in Hook Norton.

While Rita’s work is centred on semi-abstract portrayals of the countryside and the British coast line. She says she is always striving for fresh expressions. Having spent many years in Brazil, where vibrant colours are celebrated and used extensively, her work is now influenced by her Brazilian experience. Spring in Eden shows her love of yellow and green, highlighted with bold dark sweeps of black, whereas her large canvas entitled Autumn Touch makes much of the many shades of red on her palette, which sweep over the canvas in bold brush strokes.

Rita says that through her art she is able to express an inner vision by creating images of God’s world, which she hopes will be seen and sensed by the viewer.

These two exhibitions continue until August 31.