The Barbara (Lines) Verdie exhibition in the Edinburgh Gallery at the Bermuda Society of the Arts is, for the most part, an exhibition of old-fashioned charm.

I put it that way, because, although most of the paintings are charming in the way that she has rendered realism, Mrs. Verdie is also a very capable abstractionist, as can be witnessed by the work that she successfully submitted to the last Bermuda National Gallery Biennial. Additionally, she is also an experimental artist, especially in her use of colour. In many of her paintings colour is muted, as in ‘Reflections’ or ‘The Great Escape’. In other paintings, as in ‘Light fantastic’, colour is vibrantly applied.

But now about this old-fashioned charm. There are a number of paintings in the show that, somehow without actually imitating Beatrice Potter, brings this earlier illustrator of children’s book to mind.

What is it that gives this impression? In several paintings, Mrs. Verdie portrays animals associated with English country life, such as horses, chickens, rabbits, dogs and even mice. Additionally, it is her faithful and careful rendering of these creatures that confirms this impression. Indeed, this care and thoughtfulness characterises all of her work.

Another aspect of her work that recalls the English countryside is her still-life paintings of apples and strawberries.

There is a reason for all this, for although Mrs. Verdie is Bermudian, she has spent most of her adult life living in England. Consequently, her paintings reflect her actual surroundings.

There are 44 acrylic paintings in this exhibition, all well framed. By this I mean, the frames are carefully selected to help give each painting a presence, while never detracting from them. It was only after I had been around all the walls in this show, that I stopped to consider the frames.

That is good, for had they been “over the top”, or otherwise inappropriate I would have immediately noticed. Like a good sauce, proper frames bring out the best without taking over. I almost never mention prices in my review, but in this exhibition, all the paintings are incredibly affordable. This is most refreshing, especially for work of this quality. It is a beautiful show and one I recommend seeing.

The exhibition continues through May 16.