It was a tough decision; to leave the dull circle of heat radiating from a trusty fire to brave the wet windy elements in search of something more inspiring. But we did it and found what we were looking for; a cultured warmth radiating from the bright oil painting by Diana Watson.

Watson is one of those gifted artists who can make a still life subject come alive. There is a decided sense of abundance in these paintings. This fullness is exacerbated when smaller canvases are filled to the edges with harvest goods then contained securely by broad sturdy frames. The series San Remo makes us feel we have a more than ample supply of food for the soul. In larger works ripe vegetables of rich hue spill out of baskets and bowls while each lemon, pear or grape is at its peak of juiciness. We feel a want to reach out and take it now, that tomorrow the perfection will have passed. This may be true of the fruit on your table but certainly not the samples in these painting as their freshness will never fade.

We easily engage with the artist's realistic rendering of the subject and relate to the fine compositions but there is another level of appreciation in Watson's works. It is her use of the rich oil medium and exciting brush work. The artist doesn't paint the petal of a bloom, she brushes and pushes paint around until a flower grows out of the colour. It is a delight to see a rose, which on close inspection is a superb collection of brisk marks. We can see where the brush first touched the canvas, trace its path then note where it left the surface. One of the joys of viewing a painting is being reminded that it is the 'painting' not the picture that is important. Watson allows us this pleasure.

Watson's expertise with colour is obvious in her suite of grey paintings along one wall. Crisp yellow capsicums and lemons, bright red chillies, russet coloured pears or warm oranges sit on ledges, tables or benches set against a grey background. But again, close inspection sees the ground colour is certainly not a dull, colourless or boring monochrome.

There is always something in these still lifes, be it a spot or squiggle of arbitrary colour or a small winged insect, that reveals the breath of the artist who has brought these images into glowing life with a warmth that beats any gas fired heater.