AN artist is taking a light-hearted look at northern life in a series of new works.

Edward Foster, of Great Harwood, has so far produced three paintings in his new series called Northern Folk.

He has created a take of three handmaidens of Venus, represented in Renaissance painter Botticelli’s sensuous painting Primevera, called the Three Gossips.

It shows three very different women, a young mum with a pram, who is smoking, a slim woman and a larger lady, gossiping in the street.

He has also produced Love in the Afternoon which shows an elderly couple dancing in the rain.

And he has painted The Vision, which shows a young man smiling despite the grim faces and grey landscape.

Mr Foster, 34, created the paintings to reflect people in the north’s ability to laugh at themselves.

He said: “This northernness is often imbued with a warm sense of family and comm-unity and the ability to laugh at one self as well as others.

“This is a great asset that we all have the emotional humour that helps in our day-to-day existence.

“I have had a mixed reaction from the paintings but on the whole people have reacted well.”

The paintings are available to view at Ascot Studios, Ribchester, by calling 01254 878 100.