he members of the Bermuda Society of Art are currently holding their unjuried, winter exhibition.

As can be imagined, the show is mixed in quality, given that it is unjuried. Nevertheless, it is a surprisingly good exhibition. I should add that I am exhibiting in this exhibition and naturally I will not be reviewing my own work.

As with other members? exhibitions, this is also a fairly large show. It is not practical to review every work and, as I usually do with such exhibitions, I will highlight those works that stand out.

If, when visiting this show, you follow the catalogue, the first work is a small oil painting by Kok Won Lee. Entitled ?Chef Oswin?, it is an abstract portrait that reminds of Howard Hodgkin?s abstract portraits of friends. Mr. Lee?s painting is of someone with whom he works. The painting is small and unframed and while one might think such a small painting needs a frame to have presence, Mr. Lee has successfully replaced the frame with a heavy stretcher that gives the work sufficient weight. It also helps that the painting is hung all alone in a confined space. The work and its space interact successfully, neither overwhelming the other.

Theresa Airey has several works that use various photographic processes. Her digitally manipulated pictures of plants are her most successful works. There are also several works based on old aerial photographs of Bermuda, that are hand coloured with pastels. At first I was confused; was I looking at a photo or a pastel? This dichotomy is not successfully resolved in this show.

?Fetching,? the only contribution by Chai T, depicts an old-fashioned water-wheel used to lift water to irrigate nearby fields. This is possibly the most accomplished painting that I have seen by this artist; I want to see more such works.

April Dawn Branco has a series of three, fairly large charcoal drawings of the female form. Each drawing shows a close-up, heavily cropped view of anatomical details, such as a back and upper an arm crossing one another. This is strong, bold work.

One exciting and surprising work is Joyce Hall-Hayden?s ?Freedom?. A mixed media work, it consists mostly of its paper ground and cut-out black and white illustrations from a variety of subject, including Vikings. These are collaged onto the ground and then the whole work is scumbled with thin white paint. It recalls a similar way of working by an early German Dadaist, later Surrealist painter, Max Ernst.

Joyce Beal is known for her batiks, but her recent works suggest greater mastery of the technique. Additionally, she is adding new colours to her palette, making her batiks far more colourful than before.

Elizabeth Ann Trott?s ?Detached Crab Claw? is a largish, ceramic sculpture. In addition to the successful sculpting of the form, her coloured glazes, help make the work even more memorable. While I have known of her bronzes, her use of ceramic is new to me. This is a welcome addition to her overall work.

Dr. Joseph Froncione and his daughter, Alexandra are once again showing their photographs. Dr. Froncione?s ?Soles of New York ? Glass Steps,? is unusual. He shows the under side of a glass staircase that is somewhat defused, so that the people above are seen, but not clearly. At first, I did not realise what I was looking at, that the dark forms seen on the stairs were human beings ascending or descending. Alexandra Froncione?s ?Clothesline,? is a view of an Italian-like city, and as is so common in such cities, the laundry is hung out to dry from balconies and windows. The contrast of light and shadow is striking.

Marsha Woolridge?s photo series is of Africa and specifically of Africans at work. I especially noted the one called ?Basket Weaving Lesson?. It depicts a woman making a basket with three young apprentices in the picture; two girls and a boy. The two girls are busy, attempting to imitate their mentor, but the boy seems to be in a different world; his facial expression is one of utter tedium. Ms Woolridge has a way of capturing subtle elements of human expression in a vivid, clear way, that makes her photographs delightful.

?Jason?, an abstracted head in pastel with a difference is in the middle of the gallery. This is not your usual piece of pastel art; it is on a textured surface that is quite effective. Honestly, it does not even appear as a pastel. This work is by Anita Prowse-Simons.

Just about a month ago, Shelly Hamill showed her series of works based on that Japanese puzzle, ?Sudoku,? at Kaleidoscope, but they were exhibited there for less than a week. The fact that she is again showing some of her works from this series provides a second opportunity to see them. Like the actual puzzle, the series is based on the grid. Although the grid is used throughout, variety is provided through different materials and techniques, such as mosaic, paint, silver leaf and wood. This series is also both two and three dimensional.

Although Stella Shakerchi is best known for her abstract pattern-painting, here she is showing a selection of gentle suggestions of reality in watercolour. ?Model at Table? stands apart from her other works, especially because of her calligraphic brush-work. There is something Matisse-like about it, while her view of a street in St. George, by contrast, is a rather pale, wash drawing. This one is more Cezanne-like.

The exhibition continues through January 17, 2007.