INTO the Hills, a collection of large charcoal drawings, forms the latest exhibition at Skipton's Mill Bridge Gallery.

The drawings of Grassington based artist, Ann Rutherford, form a semi immersive world of stone boulders inspired by a journey to the summit of a Pennine hill.

Ann is an artist who works with landscape, and who uses a series of travel explorations in the mountainous regions of Europe for inspiration.

"Drawing with charcoal is a way of expressing immediacy of experience and the subtle beauty of the rock formations," she said.

Ann explores the landscape through running, caving,

climbing and open air 'bivys'. She is interested in the working of the land, flora

and fauna, folk stories and placemaking, and is a project manager for arts organisations with a specialism in outdoor art projects.

She has an MA with distinction in Printmaking from the Bradford School of Art, and specialises in Collograph and drypoint.

The drawings for the Mill Bridge Gallery exhibition are unique and have been created specifically to fit the gallery walls.

"I wanted to create something for the gallery that would work with the space in an unconventional way," says Ann.

"In the gallery the drawings are placed within a domestic

setting that seems quite mediaeval with the dark timber, low doorway

and deep reveals of the small windows.

"Bringing the raw outdoors into this gentle interior space opens windows onto the outside world and the way we

interact with the landscape."

Into the Hills runs at the Mill Bridge Gallery from September 6 until September 25.