Artist excited to take part in exhibition

Alicia Walker's artwork is inspired by pottery workers in Staffordshire

Works of art created by people from across Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire have been unveiled as part of a new exhibition.

The pieces have been selected for the Three Counties Open Art Exhibition, on display at Fenton Town Hall in Stoke-on-Trent until 30 August.

Three hundred artists had entered paintings, textiles, photographs and other work for selection, with 97 pieces chosen for the display, organisers Keele University said.

Textile artist Alicia Walker, from Wolstanton, said she was "excited" to take part in the exhibition, which she described as a "fantastic opportunity".

The Three Counties Open Art Exhibition is running until 30 August

Ms Walker, a recent graduate, said her work looked at the "loss of traditional craftsmanship" across north Staffordshire and the pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent, as well as the silk and natural dye industry in Leek.

She explained how the inspiration for the piece she was exhibiting, Factory Worker's Jacket, came from the idea of pottery makers working in dangerous factory conditions and having to constantly mend their worn-down uniforms.

"Vintage and naturally dyed fabrics have been patchworked together, distressed, and then visibly mended to tell this story," she added.

The free art exhibition is now in its 29th year.

It is open from Tuesday to Saturday each week, between 11:00 and 15:00 BST.

Organisers said there was a "real mix" of art on display, from paintings, to photography and a motorbike installation.

Paintings, photography and a motorbike installation form part of the display

Artist, Susan Carr, 58, started painting 20 years ago, to ease her grief following the sudden death of her son.

Ms Carr, from Crewe, said her painting, titled Coming Home, was inspired by the "harrowing" news reports of displaced people in war-torn areas across the world.

"I tried to depict the desperation and terror of losing everything yet somehow trying to survive," she said of the piece.

"Painting has been the source of great joy and has brought me so many wonderful experiences and friendships. Age is no barrier to creativity."