A POPULAR venue in Malvern has been brought to life with a vivid exhibition of wildlife art.

A total of 46 pieces of art are on display at Malvern Theatres, in Grange Road, including oil paintings and watercolours of a vast array of creatures such as hippos, elephants and birds.

All of the work - put up earlier this week - is by members of the Society of Wildlife Artists, which held its inaugural exhibition in August, 1964.

"The depiction of wildlife has made great steps from its early days," said Bill Nicholls of Malvern's Cowleigh Gallery, which organised the exhibition in conjunction with the Theatres.

"These are skillful, heartfelt works featuring the natural world in new and refreshing ways.

"It's a stunning show because it's an extremely popular subject - everybody loves wildlife and the countryside."

The fine art exhibition is due to run until mid-January, 2005.