A talented young artist from Hereford is exhibiting in the prestigious Mall Galleries in London.

Iona Stephens was winner of the Malvern Arts Award competition, held at St Edmund's Hall, Malvern College in March, with her painting Portrait.

The award was sponsored by the Malvern Hills branch of the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts and judged by Olwen Tarrant, of Upper Welland, president of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters.

Following that success, Iona was encouraged by Olwen to submit a painting for the Winsor and Newton Young Artists Awards and now has a place in the competition's exhibition at the Mall Galleries. The exhibition will run from November 25 to December 7

Olwen said: "Iona had exceptional talent, she has won a place at Cambridge next year reading English, but I do hope she will continue to paint in her spare time."

Olwen herself has been exhibiting at the Fosse Gallery in Stow-on-the-Wold, paintings drawn from members of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. The exhibition is due to close tomorrow (Saturday).

On Tuesday, she will be off to the Mall Galleries in London for the opening of the ROI annual exhibition, which also runs until December 7.

Olwen will also be among the ROI group showing work at the Shell House Gallery in Ledbury, from February 1 to March 26.

l Olwen Tarrant's Summer Solstice which will be on show at the Mall Galleries.