The creme de la creme of the town’s art world are currently showing their work at the Minories in Colchester.

That’s because it’s the Winter Show by the Colchester Art Society.

Once again a who’s who of artists are taking part from Ian Hay to Mick Smee to Charles Debenham but as in previous years there’s plenty of new names and surprises too.

That includes Abbie Cairns’ wonderful textual works running up and down the columns to Thomas Dilloway’s pieces which take up a whole corner of the gallery space.

Thomas is the latest recipient of the society’s graduate award that has enabled him to not only showcase his work but given him a space at the Cuckoo Farm Studios north of Colchester.

Formed in 1946, by a group of professional artists living in the area, the Society’s first president, was the renowned First World War artist John Nash. Another founder member, Cedric Morris, took over from Nash in 1979. Having moved to Suffolk, Morris and Arthur Lett Haines founded the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing,which promoted radical approaches to the teaching of art and whose students included Lucian Freud and Maggi Hambling.

The society, which currently has more than 200 members, most of whom are practising artists living in North-East Essex and Suffolk, holds two exhibitions per year and also organises talks, visits, and social events for members.

Last year the Colchester Art Society marked 70 years of artistic excellence by awarding a special anniversary medal designed by the sculptor, John Doubleday, to Wivenhoe’s James Dodds for his outstanding contribution to the visual arts.

And this year he has returned the favour with the presentation of one his spectacular ‘boat’ paintings to the society’s permanent collection.

The Colchester Art Society’s Winter Exhibition runs at the Minories in the High Street, until December 20.