A CELEBRATION of beautiful pottery is at the heart of Red Barn Gallery's newest exhibition.

Carefully crafted pieces by renowned potters Dylan Bowen and Sophie MacCarthy highlight their contrasting styles, while mixed media artworks, jewellery and bronzes add textured richness to this impressive summer show at Larch Cottage Nurseries, Melkinthorpe.

Julie Gleeson, senior gallery assistant at Red Barn, has good reason to describe Dylan Bowen as "a potter with an impressive heritage". He grew up among the work of his father, potter Clive Bowen, who makes wood-fired earthenware in Devon. What's more, his maternal great-grandfather was Bernard Leach, hailed as the father of British studio pottery, who established his famous pottery at St Ives, Cornwall.

From his Oxfordshire workshop, Dylan Bowen has achieved international renown in his own right by blending traditional methods with "a looser and more spontaneous style". Every earthenware piece is a one-off, setting out to capture "some of the fluidity and freedom of the making process in the finished work".

Also being showcased is intricately patterned earthenware by Sophie MacCarthy, a studio potter for more than 30 years, based in North London.

"I paint with coloured slips directly on to the dry clay surface," says Sophie of her work. "This immediacy allows for spontaneity and greater tonal depth. I use stencils, paper cut-outs and wax resist and much of my imagery is a response to what I see around me; the colours and textures of the natural world and the urban environment.

Sophie's reputation is founded upon her "distinctive imagery" and her "bold and joyous approach to colour", inspired by sights such as multi-coloured leaves gathered in puddles, where blue sky reflects in the water.

"I also like to express a sense of scatter and flow, rhythm and movement and I try to translate these things into my work through colour and through drawing," says Sophie.

Scottish mixed media artist Susan Winton is warmly welcomed back to Red Barn, where her new, atmospheric paintings portray ancient and modern elements of the landscapes that inspire her.

Another good friend of the gallery, Jim Walsh, is artist-in-residence at Larch Cottage Nurseries for the summer. Jim is continuing work on the magnificent fresco at the chapel built by Peter Stott for his family, and the artwork can be seen on Sunday afternoons.

Exhibiting jewellers Kat B London and Lizzie Kershaw, of Ladbroke Grove, bring their dazzling, original designs to the Eden Valley, from semi-precious stone necklaces to detailed silver pieces inspired by fuchsias and calla lilies. Meanwhile, limited edition bronzes by European artists such as Viviane Decramer, of Ostend, add yet another facet to this not-to-be-missed show.

- Open every day 10am to 5pm, until end August. www.redbarngallery.co.uk