The combination of a chance remark at this summer's Sea Venture re-enactment in St. George's and a subsequent meeting in Hamilton led to two skilled model shipbuilders combining their talents and joining with artist Frank Chiappa for tonight's opening of their exhibitions in Studios A and B at the Bermuda Society of Arts.

Bermudian Milton Hill is well known for his detailed models of Bermuda boats, many of them in much-prized local cedar, while Mauritian-born St. George's resident Kersley Nanette has also made his mark with his finely-executed model sailing vessels.

Both artists have exhibited locally and their work is much sought-after by collectors, and as commissions, and corporate and private gifts.

Frank Chiappa is also a local artist and the hallmark of his paintings are imagination and vibrancy. A good friend of Mr. Hill's from childhood, he is delighted to be the 'third man' in the exhibition.

Mr. Hill and Mr. Nanette's portion of the exhibition is entitled 'The Passionate Art of Model Making' and Mr. Chiappa's is 'Out of the Box'.

Mr. Nanette said he was "excited to work with Milton and Frank" and added: "It will be a different atmosphere because we have different things for people to look at.

"We are going to have a great show, with beautiful boats in Bermuda cedar and teak. To complement the boats, I have done a miniature ducking stool, which is an unusual piece, plus elements of the game of cricket."

His models will be replicas of 17th and 18th century vessels from around the world, some of which have links to Bermuda's history.

Mr. Nanette undertook an apprenticeship in Mauritius at age 12, and since 1979 has developed a passion for making model ships in various sizes, ranging rom five inches to six feet long.

Among those in tonight's exhibition are the Sea Venture, the Deliverance, the Bermuda-built topsail schooner HMS Pickle and HMS Victory.

Mr. Nanette describes model ship making as a rare art which requires extensive knowledge, ability, determination, patience and love, and to which he has devoted countless hours over many years to perfect.

The St. George's resident prefers working in the evenings, often watched intently by his two young daughters, aged five and six, whom he says are very protective of his need for peace and quiet.

As an artist, Mr. Hill is constantly exploring new avenues of creativity. For this exhibition, he has produced a series of Bermuda boats, some in miniature, which include sloops, pilot gigs, the Sea Venture, the Spanish galleon La Garza, and the topsail schooner Amistad, as well as models of the Bermuda sloops Morning Star and Rose of Sharon, originally built by 1800s shipwright Charles Roach Ratteray.

He is exhibiting 16 pieces, all of which have been created during the past seven months.

"I am very excited about this show," he said. "I have always wanted Kersley to do a show with me, and Frank and I have been talking about having a show together forever, so here we all are!"

Frank Chiappa loves surrealism, and bright colours, but in keeping with the title of his section has has produced several paintings in two or three tones of one colour in this case, blue and green plus white.

"I have been really inspired by being a Biennial award winner," he says. "It has given me more confidence as a Bermudian artist to know that international jurors understand my work. I can think outside the box, whereas before I was closed in, maybe."

Study trips to San Miguel de Allende, a popular artists' colony in Mexico, have also contributed to Mr. Chiappa's development as an artist. In preparing for this show following his most recent visit he decided to experiment with two colours and white in a few paintings in an effort to get as much depth and perspective into them as possible. He has also produced some larger canvases.

Viewers will discover intriguing quirks, such as pistols with no triggers; South American influences in symbols; ghost ships and pirates; and UFOs in this artist's new body of work.

Bermuda's 400th anniversary is acknowledged through the incorporation of various elements commonly associated with the Island, such as the longtail, the Dockyard Clock Tower, and a moongate.

Other paintings reveal experimentation with layering techniques, while Mr. Chiappa's sense of humour is reflected in an eye-catching canvas of his 'boss', Pekoe the cat, grandly seated atop a decorated sardine can. Then there are the linked flags of various nations surrounding a porthole, a large, colourful canvas which took about 70 hours to complete.

¦ Tonight's opening reception for 'The Passionate Art of Model Making' and 'Out of the Box' is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The exhibitions continue through November 4, and admission is free. For further information tel. 292-3824 or see the Bermuda Calendar.