TWO sculptors and a painter combine their work to produce an intriguing new exhibition in Tenby.

Artist Rhoda Hodes, who lives at Freshwater East, shows large collages and acrylic paintings on canvas.

For some years she had her own gallery, The Artist's Studio in Pembroke, and taught students of all ages there.

As a member of Pembroke Arts Club, Rhoda consistently contributed to the club's seasonal exhibitions, and shows her work at Art Matters, Tenby and in St. Davids.

Born in South Africa, the vast spaces and red earth of the Karoo have had a deep influence on her paintings.

This is seen most clearly in her collages of large clay pots, so vital for storing food and water. She transforms the basic organic forms of the pots capturing rich colours and sensuous rhythms in a textural style using inks, watercolours and torn, colour suffused papers.

The subject matter for her acrylic and pastel paintings has come from memories of living in Israel, fruit pickers, dancers, fishermen and musicians feature and of Wales, the castles, cottages and landscape.

She finds no challenge in copying exactly what is in front of her. She paints her emotional reactions to it in vibrant, clear colour and uninhibited and exuberant curves.

¡Kitty Sewell also arrived in Wales by a circuitous route having been born in Sweden, educated in Spain, and having emigrated to Canada at the age of 18.

Now living in Penarth, she studied art in Carmarthen, achieving both the Stone Carver of the Year at the CCTA and New Artist Award from Arts Council for Wales in 1999, since when she has exhibited her work in several prestigious galleries in South Wales.

Of her art she says: "Stone carving is not for the faint hearted. Nor is it for anyone with a dicky back, weak arms, delicate chest or any type of physical vanity."

But she 'got hooked on stones,' studying each stone until she could find 'the sculpture waiting to be released,' recognising the biggest problem, human error, which can irrevocably ruin the beauty within.

"For that reason, concentration and reflection is paramount, especially when nearing the completion of a piece. Sculpting engages the intuitive side of the brain but is sheer physical labour. Carving is a long, laborious process, though it can be fluid and meditative, allowing one to get 'lost'."

Kitty shows large stone heads and figures, some combined with wood carving.

Rhuddian Cheasley-Rau was born in Penrhiwceiber and now lives in Brecon. He qualified as an aeronautical structural engineer and also studied at the West of England College of Art in Bristol, taking up work both in the aircraft industry and as a sculptor.

Since 1982, he has devoted his time to sculpting full time. His main preoccupation is with the human form, seeing its infinite variety and mood as a constant source of inspiration and challenge.

Rhuddian designs mainly in clay and has developed cold cast resin techniques to enable him to create larger and lighter sculptures whilst retaining full control over the whole casting and moulding process. Thus he is enabled to make sculptures in bronze, brass, copper, aluminium, marble, stone and plaster resins.

He shows: bronzes from his 'warrior head' series, the pieces representing emotional responses to the futility and horror of warfare; biblical reliefs interpreting the ancient images of Adam's temptation and the expulsion of Adam and Eve; and torsos and figures showing the underlying strength and beauty of the human form.

This is the first sculpture exhibition to be held at Art Matters in Tenby.

It starts tomorrow (Saturday) and continues until June 6. It is open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and entry is free.