The Rāwene student exhibition during the recent semester break by members of the Certificate in Applied Arts programme at the Hokianga Art Gallery in Rāwene achieved critical acclaim and generated excellent sales of the artworks on display.

The Rāwene-based students exhibited 69 works produced by 22 artists in their "Landscape Painters of the Hokianga" exhibition at the Hokianga Art Gallery.

Many of the pieces in the exhibition were sold, with five pieces having been bought by visitors from Melbourne.

"The work is of a high standard and shows a real diversity in style and interpretation of the theme - "Hokianga Landscapes," said NorthTec Learning Advisor and artist Helen Cossey.

The work is primarily gouache on paper and attracted an extremely positive review from well-known local arts critic and artist Mike Nettmann in his regular "About the Arts" column in the Bay Chronicle and the Northern News.

Mr Nettman described the show as unique because of the number of gouache works being presented in a single exhibition. "Because of the nature of gouache and its fast-drying properties it is not ideal for covering large areas but more suited to small detailed paintings such as those in this exhibition."

"The results is an impressive collection of 69 highly individual works ranging from representational to impressionistic to abtract all showing the artists' capable grasp of this difficult medium in mastering the intermixing of water and paint on to brush."

The exhibition ran from 22 September until 10 October.