TWO MEMBERS of a family with an artistic streak are taking a rare opportunity to show off their creations on canvas almost side-by-side.

Mother and daughter Judith Giles and Jane Pirie have contributed to the first exhibitions of the year at Seaton Holme, a visitor centre in Easington Village.

Mother Judith, a former commercial artist and art teacher, is displaying a selection of framed prints and small original, watercolours in the Discovery Centre section of Seaton Holme, a converted medieval manor house.

Daughter Jane's more contemporary oils on canvas, which explore modern images, can be viewed in the centre's Long Gallery.

Judith, a graphic designer who also trained in fine art, has concentrated on mainly local landscapes in her display, "The Sea and River".

It also features a hand-printed lithograph taken from a series of four original watercolours based on Lake District scenes.

Contemporary western mass culture provided the inspiration for Jane's larger oil paintings.

Teacher Jane, art co-ordinator at Tanfield Lea Primary School in County Durham, focuses on issues such as stereotyping and voyeurism in the modern movie era.

Judith said despite the family connection, the two exhibitions are "completely different".

"We've exhibited before, but never together, but it's nice to have the chance.

"You can really see the contrast in the work. Jane's are very large oil paintings, very figurative and very modern, where as mine are, I suppose, more traditional."

The exhibitions can be viewed until the end of January.

Seaton Holme is open from Monday to Friday, between 9am and 4pm. Admission is free.