A BRACING sea breeze is blowing through Lymington's St Barbe Museum this month as it plays host to the Royal Society of Marine Artists (RSMA).

Seascapes, galleons in full sail and modern yachts set the theme for the newest exhibition at the museum in New Street. The RSMA holds a prestigious show in London every year but this is the first time it has come to Lymington.

St Barbe curator Steve Marshall said: "It is all new work by some of the most famous marine artists in the country, and it is a tribute to the growing reputation of the St Barbe that they have agreed to show here.

"It's not all ships. There are some landscapes too, but all 73 works have a link with the sea. Nearly 30 painters are on show, from book-illustrator Geoff Hunt and RSMA president Bert Wright to up-and-coming artists like Rowena Wright - no relation- from Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

"Rowena is making a name with her paintings of yachts and yachtspeople - like Maiden skipper Tracy Edwards."

The St Barbe museum and gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 10am until 4pm, and the RSMA exhibition is on until April 26.