Artist hopes exhibition will 'repay iconic museum'

Artist Roy Wilde said the museum had made "preparing for his first exhibition very enjoyable"

An artist hopes his first exhibition will repay a museum that has become a "cultural icon" in his city.

Former Wiltshire soldier Roy Wilde is "delighted" that Salisbury Museum is staging his The Downland and Valleys of South Wiltshire exhibition, which is running until mid-July.

Mr Wilde, who served for 37 years in the Royal Fusiliers, started painting and volunteering at the museum after he retired.

He hopes his paintings, which includes several views of Salisbury Cathedral, will offer a "little bit of a repayment", because he sees the museum as a cultural icon that is "overlooked by a lot of people".

The exhibition is focused on local landscapes

Mr Wilde said he originally worked in water colours as they were "more portable" and he could paint what he saw "wherever he was".

"I developed a fascination for the contrasting landscapes of open downland, its ancient features and the variety of the sheltered valleys, with their churches," he added.

In recent years, Mr Wilde has worked in oils and acrylics. His exhibition reflects his changing styles and promotes local landscapes.