Paintings of Gombeys, night drives, figurative pieces and sculptures make up the work of two well-known artists who are displaying for the first time at the Desmond Fountain Gallery.

The Small Paintings Show opens this evening at the Front Street gallery.

Sue Grass and Peter Lapsley are both honoured to have been invited to participate in the show. ?Yes, as you know I am involved with the Bermuda Society of Arts and because of this I am somewhat known amongst the charity art organisations,? said Mr. Lapsley.

?However, this is great, as I am hoping to reach a larger audience with my work and I think that as a commercial gallery the Desmond Fountain Gallery can help do that.

?I am also flattered, as the works they display are of a high calibre so to be asked to show is really pleasing.?

The Gallery was always a place where Ms Grass wanted to show her work and she said: ?I was delighted when I was invited to participate.?

The selection that the pair have chosen for the show are a range of different styles.

?Two paintings are of Gombeys and two are a continuation of my Night Drive series,? said Ms Grass who has used acrylic paints on stretched canvas as her medium.

Mr. Lapsley said his work was on paper and included ink, acrylic, charcoal and graphite.

?I have a sculpture that includes, wood, metal, stone and fibreglass,? he said, jokingly adding: ?If I told you how long they took I would have to kill you. Ok, all joking aside, it depends. I find that working fast can lead to some great artwork, but you may have to do ten pieces until you get it right, as opposed to working on one piece for a week.

?Every piece is different in that regard. One thing that I have learned though is that your work whether it takes you ten minutes or ten days is a result of all the pieces that have come before it. In that way it is very difficult to say how long it took you to complete a final piece ? a lifetime really.?

Mr. Lapsley, is the director of the Bermuda Society of Arts (BSoA), and Ms Grass, who is a full-time painter, also helps out with installation work at the BSoA and the Bermuda National Gallery, but Mr. Lapsley paints whenever he can. ?It is hard having a full-time job,? he said, ?And then trying to spend your free time creating. I can?t speak for others, but I know that for myself I find the creative process exhausting. When it goes well it is the best feeling around, but the hard part is getting to the point of actually sitting down to do the work. I tend to beat myself up if I am not making the time, but I guess that?s not an uncommon problem. I definitely find that deadlines are my friend.?

The inspiration for their pieces are a mixed bag ? Ms Grass is interested in the process of documentation and Mr. Lapsley loves an excellent figure. ?Generally, my work continues to be concerned with documenting my experience of place,? said Ms Grass. ?I?m inspired by living in Bermuda and of course, I love the Gombeys.?

Mr. Lapsley said: ?My inspiration is the figure. I love the lines of the figure and I love how those lines are laid down.

?This series is my exploration of the investment of energy in artwork through the way in which it is created.?

Ms Grass, who participated in the Bacardi Biennial Exhibition 2004 with her ?Night Drive 4? series was also included in the recent Bermuda National Gallery?s winter show, ?Painting Bermuda: 200 Years of Changing Tradition. ?I?ve participated in numerous shows around the Island and find that the art scene here is not only very lively, but very welcoming and supportive too.?

Although, Ms Grass does not have a favourite piece in the show she said: ?I like each one for different reasons.?

However, Mr. Lapsley said: ?I think that my favourite piece in the show would be a sculpture I recently completed.

?Sculpture is something that I have wanted to do for a long time and recently I have been working on some smaller pieces using clay and fibreglass.

?This piece is the first in what I plan to be an ongoing series.?

Also participating in the show are some of Bermuda?s favourite artists such as, Sheilagh Head, Bruce Stuart, Dan Dempster, Christopher Marson, Otto Trott, Diana Amos, Eric Amos, and Will Collieson. The opening is from 5.30 until 7.30 p.m. at the Desmond Fountain Gallery, Emporium Building, Front Street, Hamilton. The Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and for more information ( 236-3518 or e-mail: Fountaingalleryibl.bm.