Welcome to a world of unique creatures that set the mind to dreaming, and colourful paintings that bring joy to the heart. It's always rewarding to find an artist who enjoys working with paint, pushing the medium through its range of possibilities from subtle innuendo to knock-out power. And when this exploration is underpinned by sure graphic ability, as seen in these exhibits, it's an added bonus.

Gillian Warden admits she loves to play with 'living, breathing paint'. And she plays with her imagery too as these exhibits take us through the looking glass and introduce us to a collection of real and hybrid animals in a kaleidoscope of colour. Here we meet William Pointbeing, a philosophical looking human/rabbit in a golden feathery coat, who points a long delicate finger upward to accentuate a specific fact in a discussion. Then there's Marcus, a 'travelling salesman' wearing a trench coat knotted at the waist and carrying two heavy sample cases in his hands. The only odd aspect of Marcus is that he has an antelope's head.

Warden's collection of characters charm the viewer with their reference to human traits. There's Sweeney, a gaily coloured mouse-like creature who appears rather shy and Emerald a dear little deer with a heart shaped spot. Timid or bold, they invite us to come up close, to look past the picture and examine the painting's surface. That's when we discover the true wonder of Warden's art as we fall into the luscious paint. Layers of hue are rubbed, splashed, flicked or scrapped onto canvas or board. During this process, the medium is respected and allowed to do what it does best ~ glow.

We can understand how the artist's imagination is set free by this exploration of medium when viewing the excellent diptych Wonderbeast. Here a tailless horse, with flowing striped horns, gallops though a fantastical landscape composed of multiple hues, interesting marks and suggested shapes. Then there's Something beginning with ... a dreamy image that seems to reflect the artist's own approach to her work. This painting celebrates both the human imagination and the act of painting, as a woman/rabbit lays on her back in a sun washed meadow surrounded by the texture and colour of her own thoughts.

This is a fantastic exhibition of fine paintings that will remain in the mind's eye, long after leaving the gallery. The artist admits she on on a "wonderful mystery tour discovering paint, describing paint" and we're all invited to join her. Get to the gallery, take the tour, it's a beautiful visual adventure.