Ecclesall resident Ruth Lockwood has been a key member of the team that organises the Great Sheffield Art Show, the north's biggest art show, for the past 18 years, three years after it started.

She is an artist in her own right and, despite living in land-locked Sheffield, paints seascapes and makes frequent trips to Cornwall and other coastal destinations for subject matter. The art show is staffed by unpaid volunteers headed by Mike Fearne. It now regularly exhibits 1,500 pieces of work from around 600 artists and attracts 6,000 visitors over its three-and-a-half days. It is starts at Sheffield University's Octagon Centre with a preview evening next Thursday, running to the Sunday.


Great Sheffield Art Show
As children we always had pencils, paint and paper which instilled in me a desire to paint, but the opportunity didn't arise until I took early retirement following a career in banking. When I had my first picture selected for the Great Sheffield Art Show – wow! And in the same show, selling that picture - double wow!

For me the GSAS has always had that certain wow factor and rightly so, with nearly 1,500 quality exhibits. How could anyone fail to be impressed? This year we sent out 1,200 applications. This required a team of volunteers around my dining table at the beginning of February, stuffing envelopes, their only reward being tea and home made cake, but with much chat and laughter. This year 1,369 works have been accepted for the main part of the show. I will be part of the team of volunteers hanging these on July 10. One of these volunteers is my sister Penny who is coming from Switzerland. What about that for commitment?

The Sheffield art scene
Art is now a very important part of my life, through which I have made many new friends, including a group of five ladies who invited me to join them. Over the years they have given me a great deal of help, encouragement and most importantly, their friendship. Another of my favourite things is Heeley Art Club which I joined 18 months ago. It is the oldest art club in the City. Created in 1895, it runs a varied programme which I find most motivating. I also enjoy is the annual open studios event which gives a wealth of inspiration.

Galleries
Being an artist, favourite places to visit have to be galleries. Since the opening of the Millennium Galleries, we have been extremely fortunate in being able to view exhibitions of national importance.

Ecclesall Woods
They have become a favourite dog-walking area - it'ss hard to imagine that you are in an industrial city.

The main charm is the carpet of bluebells in springtime, but the woods have other attractions throughout the year. The lush lime green of the beech trees in spring followed by a haze of gold in autumn.

I have a favourite clearing in the woods which we have nicknamed the cathedral because of the nave-like position and height of the trees and the feeling that you entering a quiet place. It is almost spiritual.

Millhouses Park
Sheffield is blessed with many parks. Millhouses, my favourite, is just a walk away from our home, and has a wealth of activities including a river running along its length. Unfortunately this river is also a favourite for our pet dog, and I assure you there is nothing worse than the smell of a wet dog! I take my hat off to the park keepers who do a splendid job of keeping the park looking its best. My least favourite things are the litter louts who spoil their efforts, their activities being the most noticeable on a Monday morning following a weekend of fine weather

Botanical Gardens
Having only lived in Sheffield since 1970, I don't have childhood memories of the gardens but I applaud its obvious renaissance. Looking from the fountain towards the glasshouses and seeing the wide herbaceous borders in their summer colours really has that wow factor.

I also love the ways in which the gardens are used - students and young people sitting and chatting, mums and small children playing, individuals reading or simply as a thoroughfare. It is just such a pleasant place.

The Five Weirs Walk
It may be strange to include the Five Weirs Walk when I have only completed it once, but during that walk I saw a kingfisher for the first and only time in my life, and this has left quite an impression on me. A more industrial scene would be hard to find and yet here was this beautiful bird. It was just a fleeting glance, but one I will never forget.

Sheffield the green city
I have lived in various parts of the country, but I am so impressed by how green Sheffield is. There are trees everywhere, something that is not usually recognised outside the city and now I can't imagine living anywhere else.

Surrounding countryside
I spent my formative years in the countryside of North Somerset, but do not miss the wide-open spaces even though I now live in the industrial city of Sheffield because, surprisingly, we have an outstanding landscape virtually on our doorstep. There is beauty to be found in Sheffield's golden frame at any time of year and in any weather conditions, but the part I know best is the Peak District and this too has become one of my favourite things



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