AN EXHIBITION of work by North-East artists opens on Tuesday at Scissors Paper Stone, an independent contemporary gallery in East Durham. Many of the artists are showing there for the first time; others are back by popular demand.

The owner, Angela Forsyth, said: "This exhibition shows the huge amount of talent we have in the region and demonstrate how diverse that talent is, from painters to jewellers, textiles, wood, glass and ceramic artists."

Mike Clay will show several paintings, many of which are portraits of local characters, others inspired by Strictly Come Dancing, and even some of the royal family. Born in West Sussex, he studied at Sunderland Polytechnic and stayed in the region after graduating.

Diane Routledge, from South Shields, is exhibiting faces of a different nature. Her series of clay Buddha masks will appear alongside Tibetan carved pebbles and ceramic pendants carved with ancient symbols of spirituality.

Louise Attley, who studied ceramics at Sunderland University, will exhibit ceramic patchwork bowls and vases, and Kim Thomson, a designer based in Alniwick who makes jewellery for all budgets, will show striking acrylic jewellery and her budget Friendly Plastic range of necklaces, brooches and earrings.

Funkifish, a company run by Marie Young in Durham, designs and makes handbags, purses, gloves, and jewellery from Salmon Leather. Roger Coulam, the UK's top severe weather photographer, will show images from America's Tornado Alley and other wild weather photographs closer to home.

The exhibition also features new work by artists whose names will be familiar to those who visit the gallery: Theresa Easton, from Northern Print, with work inspired by the North-East coast; glass coasters by Rachel Gretton; carved wooden boxes, frames, and mirrors by Mark Talbot; and Pam Nord, who works with paper, fabrics, beads and paint, on canvas.

Scissors Paper Stone is 400yds from the A19 in Hutton Henry, just south of Castle Eden and north of Sheraton. It is open Tuesday-Saturday, from 11am-4pm. The exhibition runs from February 1 to April 1.

For further details, tel 01429 83 60 10 or visit www.scissor-paper-stone.co.uk.