ARTISTS pushed themselves to their creative limits and broke experimental boundaries at a milestone Worcester exhibition which brings a touch of magic to a city art gallery.

The Worcester Society of Artists 70th annual exhibition at Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum breaks new ground as a breed of younger artists come to the fore with bold and vibrant ideas and a fresh perspective.

The diversity of the work on display can be attributed to the society making far greater and more fruitful use of the internet to reach a wider and often younger audience, reaching out to novices who may never have picked up a paint brush in their life to accomplished hands with a series of awards already under their belts.

Inevitably this means more modern and experimental pieces are placed side by side with the traditional work many visitors may have grown used to in the past.

The exhibition at the gallery in Foregate Street, launched on Saturday, runs until October 28.

It features 103 pieces of art by around 60 artists, the highest number of entries in recent years. Here are collages, works in acrylics, oils, pastels, mixed pieces, digital work and jewellery.

The impressive cross-section of work contains everything from traditional landscapes and portraits to more cutting edge and daring pieces such as the work of Mark Roberts who created a glass figure called ‘Four Seasons’, a shimmering, colourful mosaic in three dimensions.

Steve Riley, exhibition secretary, said: “As a club, ever since we have advertised more on the internet and had more of a presence, we have been attracting young people. It’s more modern and more varied this year. In recent years it is certainly the biggest we have had. A large part of it is that more people are finding out about us.”

Mr Riley has two pieces at the exhibition, a digital image called Black Rock Bay, created through computer graphics and Tenby Harbour, winner of the Ken Candlin Watercolour Award.

Museum curator Emalee Beddoes-Davis said: “It's the best we have seen from the Worcester Society of Artists. There are more artists. There are more types of art, different materials, more experimental pieces, some really accomplished, alongside more traditional works.”

Her own favourite is the striking ‘Blue Reflection’ (number 56) by Alice Malone, an artist she said had a natural talent and had captured a moment in someone’s day in dynamic style. The oil painting which is one sale for £795 features vibrant colours and shows woman holding a cup of coffee in a cafe. Mrs Beddoes-Davis said it was interesting to see the progression of artists from the previous year and how their styles were developing and improving.

The student award went to Craig Strachan with All Change, an oil painting capturing a busy railway station platform.

Turning heads at the gallery was Errol Dyer’s ‘Hare with Attitude’, a beautifully observed profile of a hare.

Mr Dyer is the SAA Artist of the year and winner of the June Atherton Award.

The Peter Spicer Award went to Karen Thorp who created both Forest Song and Bluebells West Malvern.

It was a poignant exhibition as Victor Heyfron, known for his sculptures, died before he could see his busts of Elgar, Churchill, Orwell and Prince Charles on display at this year's anniversary exhibition.

Derek Mills showed the precision and technical accomplishment which has resulted in him being elected an associate member of the Guild of Railway Artists in both his pieces - Crab Motion and End of the Line.

Marion Yeo was there to see the exhibition where she has two pieces on display - Oil Lamp and the dream-like Dusk Trees. She said that there had been an improvement in quality at the last exhibition and this had been maintained for the 70th exhibition.

Old favourites continued to catch the eye, including work by Peter Spicer, Aubrey Phillips and Joyce Austin.