AFRICAN-inspired ceramic statues rub shoulders with jewellery made out of spoons at the Vale and Downland Museum's latest exhibition.

Wantage-born artist Niki Herring, who has also thrown in some paintings, has, it seems, tried to cram in as many media as possible into her latest show.

The exhibition, entitled Work in Progress, opened this week at the Wantage museum in Church Street, and all exhibits are for sale.

Mrs Herring, who now lives in Fyfield Wick near Southmoor, has been running ceramics classes and making art for friends and family for years, and said she was eventually brow-beaten into showing her creations in public.

The mum-of-three said: "People kept telling me my art was quite good and I make so much stuff I thought maybe it would be nice to share it with people.

"In terms of a theme, wildlife features quite heavily, but basically if I'm in a creative mood then I create."

Although the show does not have an overarching theme, there is a lot of cross-pollination.

A good example is the trio of ceramic statues entitled Tribal Women: these were inspired by a previous painting on the same theme, and that painting itself was an experiment in using paints which Mrs Herring originally bought to use in silver work.

Work in Progress runs until Saturday, August 19, and the museum is open Monday – Saturday, 9.30am – 4pm.

Admission is free but donations are always welcome. To find out more about ceramics classes email nikiherring@aol.com