ROSIE Wates and Tina Balmer make the perfect team, artistically speaking.

The creative force behind the highly successful art fair ArtFest North in 2013 and 2016, now they’ve set their sights firmly on their latest venture, an art gallery and shop at Ulverston’s Market Street: Gallery 68.

“Its wonderful to be working together again,” says Rosie. “It is very much our new ArtFest.”

Tina is well known for her exuberant and colourful flower paintings, having moved with her family to Ulverston in 2006 from Newhaven in Sussex. Painting full time, she joined the highly respected Green Door Studios network at Kendal.

“I can’t tell you how many people have said how delighted they are to have an art gallery in Ulverston,” Tina explains, “People have travelled large distances specially to enjoy the experience of the huge number of independent shops in Ulverston - and now there is an art gallery as well.”

After a childhood spent making things, drawing and painting, Rosie went to Birmingham University intending to go into theatre design. On moving up to live near Kendal, Rosie immediately got involved in the Green Door collective. Rosie says that people can sometimes find an art gallery, as opposed to a shop, a rather intimidating place: “What we want, what we wanted with ArtFest North, was to make our gallery friendly and welcoming without compromising on the excellence of the work.”