SIMPLE encouragement is the secret behind the blossoming careers of two Malvern artists who found themselves able to do each other a good turn.

Gill Hooper and David Peplow are now joining together for a new exhibition in Malvern after enjoying a success that owes much to each other.

Gill first learned to paint under the watchful eye of art teacher David during his classes for the disabled at Malvern Day Centre.

She uncovered a real talent for painting under his tutelage, and he persuaded her to put on an exhibition at the Lord Mayors' Gallery in Hereford.

She sold 11 paintings and had half-a-dozen commissions from places all over the country. She hasn't looked back since.

Since her first exhibition, she has sold nine more paintings, and has had a small, purpose-built studio put up in her garden.

It was when she turned the tables by inviting her teacher to exhibit, that he also experienced an unexpected degree of success.

"I saw Dave in the day centre, and told him I was exhibiting again in Hereford," she said, "I asked him whether he wanted to come and show some of his paintings.

"At the last minute he decided that he did, but when we turned up at the gallery we found someone else putting their paintings up - they had double-booked!"

However, the pair were eventually given a corner of the studio to themselves. Despite the fact their 30 paintings were swamped by more than 100 others, and much to his own amazement, David sold four paintings.

He has since realised a dream of having his own professional exhibition. After packing up his exhibits at the Malvern exhibition, he will be heading to the Quay Gallery in Bewdley, where his work will be displayed indefinitely.

"Before the Hereford exhibition, I felt, like a lot of people do, that what I was doing was rubbish," said David.

"It was Gill who spotted a piece I had done quickly as a demonstration at the day centre, and said 'you should frame that.'

"Now, I'm demonstrating my strong be-lief that people should not spend so much time and effort trying to make pieces of art perfect, because they get away from something that represents themselves. The piece of art Gill told me to frame, as well as my other pieces, are expressions of myself, and I would never have had the courage to exhibit it but for her."

Gill is also quick to identify her former tutor as a major source of inspiration.

"But for him, I would never have picked up a brush and, but for me, he would never have exhibited," she said.

Their styles are in marked contrast to each other. Gill paints landscapes and nature paintings, "bluebell woods and poppy fields", as she puts it, while he paints abstracts.

"At first, I couldn't understand it (David's art)," she admitted, "But the more you look at it, the more you can see in it."

The fruits of their labours are on display at the Sir Barry Jackson Rooms between Monday, November 26, and Saturday, December 1, from 10am to 5.30pm daily.