ONE of Heather Cowie's lifelong dreams had been to travel to the Okavango Delta at Botswana.

Two years ago the Melbourne-born artist's dream became a reality and she experienced firsthand the inland delta, a patchwork of habitats developed during the yearly cycle of wetting and flooding by drying and dessication that become a magnet for huge numbers of wildlife when the desert turns to lush vegetation.

Okavango Dreaming is Heather's response to that phenomenal African landscape in the form of paintings, sculpture and assemblage. She imbues the work with what she describes as "a sense of the spiritual but also of the primitive - as essence or core of being.”

Running at Peter Blaskett's highly regarded Signature Gallery until Saturday, November 11, Silverdale-based Heather's exhibition includes striking watercolours and mixed media and acrylic, feathers and card on smoked canvas works.

"Now that I have walked on, floated in and flown over this incredible complex landscape, I have been able to re-dream my sense of the place through idea, colour and form," explains Heather.

"In making these works I have sought to express the deep spiritual connection I feel with Africa and that essence or core with myself which can perhaps be called 'primitive.'

Signature Gallery is located at 16 Kirkland, Kendal.

Open 10am-5pm, Monday-Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; Thursday, 10am-4pm.

For further information telephone 01539-730260.