If one were to walk into the Bermuda Society of Arts? Edinburgh Gallery without a glance at the catalogue it would take some convincing to get one to believe that all 38 of the works on display were by the same artist, Shirley James.

Mrs. James has been painting for a good number of years and it is surprising, to say the least, that she hasn?t solidified her style.

She works in charcoal, pastel and in oils. Within each medium her style varies considerably. The resulting effect is as though there were several artists exhibiting together.

The show starts with a small oil, ?Bermuda Cottage?, pink but with a well textured palm tree rather in the manner of Otto Trott. This style recurs later in ?Ladies on the Beach?. This is abruptly followed by two pastels and a charcoal. These are drawings of people, at which Mrs. James is a little uncomfortable. Her figures are a little tense and stiff, perhaps because they seem to be portraits of family members, often compounding the difficulties anyway inherent in portraiture. A little further along one comes to ?Straw Hat? an oil in which the figure is much more relaxed and comfortable, though the forms are a little tentative. Much later on in the show there is another pastel figure study that is highly dramatic, ?Waiting for Dad?, a work in red and white pastel on black paper.

In it the figures are quite relaxed and the work is one of the most effective in the show.

Mrs. James? still life works are as varied as her figure studies. Some, ?Pears #1, #2, and #3? are on the dull, chalky side for oils. ?Apples? is better painted, but conventional. ?Cherries?, hanging enticingly on the bough, is rich and lush. ?Still life with Pineapple? is vibrant, colourful and alive. These are all oils from the same hand. She also offers pastel still life works that are different again. They are soft and rely on gentle, well coordinated colour schemes and relatively formal compositions. There are vegetables, flowers and fruit, all pleasing. Once again it is hard to discern a unifying thread from one set of works to the next.

There are a number of conventional Bermuda beach scenes, all a little on the stiff side. Contrasting utterly with these is ?Rhapsody in Blue?, a dramatic impression of sand beach and sea in a style so different from the rather pedestrian surrounding scenes that once again it is hard to see the same hand at work. The most dramatic contrast of all in style, colour and even brushwork is the outstanding ?Dawn at the Lake?. The colour scheme is muted in blues and greens illuminated by a soft infusion of light. It is almost impossible to believe that this delightful, small work could possibly have been painted by the painter of any of the other works in the show.

For a baffling, surprising but interesting visit, combine Shirley James with the main event in the Onions Gallery. It will all be good fun.