THE weather this summer may have been hit and miss but that hasn't stopped Tower Street white cube gallery According to McGee celebrating 'what it is to experience the light, land and shore of the North'.

In the latest of their 'Elementals' series, gallerists Greg and Ails McGee return once again to the theme of our northern climate and how it can be depicted via contemporary paintings.

Once again they are exhibiting the work of Freya Horsley, though for the first time the work of artists Lesley Birch and Jill Campell are also included. The resulting exhibition is a stand out show, says Ails.

"What's funny is that the artists had never met each other. I never provided a brief, with instructions to capture the sky in a certain way, or to suggest the restlessness of cold air. Freya has exhibited with us before, and I've been a big fan for a long time from afar of Lesley and Jill's work.

"All three artists provided work which dovetailed with each other so beautifully, with a purely coincidental common vibe, the show just 'arrived'. Sometimes making curatorial decisions can make you itch. The work of Freya, Jill and Lesley effortlessly fell into place.

"I'd been warning our current assistant curator Boglárka Medgyes that curating a trio show like this could take a lot of time and she'd better prepare herself. The work arrived and Boglárka had it curated in no time. In many ways, it's a sign of just how accomplished these paintings are. The northern contemporary artscene is in fine fettle, but sometimes skyscapes and landscapes are overlooked. 'Elementals' is as energetic and as provocative as anything else out there."

Says gallery intern and University of York History of Art student Boglárka, " I thought that the 3 artists' works worked together extremely well, not only are they all feminine and delicate but dynamic and powerful at the same time, with so many layers. Freya's gorgeous and moving landscapes of places that she is drawn to, Jill's complex, turbulent works on the border of landscape painting and abstract and Lesley's exploration of the female form placed in the landscape all represent different aspects of personally experiencing natural phenomena instead of plainly looking at it."

Says artist Freya Horsley, "There is a theme of openness, space and movement that runs through all the work, but we've each approached it quite differently in our use of paint, colour and even mood. That's what excites me about showing alongside other artists whose work responds to the landscape - there is a feeling that we're talking the same language but definitely not in the same voice."

Painters Lesley Birch and Jill Campbell agree. "I’m proud to be exhibiting my paintings with Freya and Jill in such a beautiful contemporary white space," says Lesley. "I love the sense of historic York present with ancient Clifford’s Tower opposite the modern gallery - the old and the new together." Jill adds: "My painting is a response to the landscape of the North Pennines and I am influenced by the idea that although we look at landscape we also form part of it, therefore painting what is experienced is as relevant to me as painting what is seen. This exhibition contains work by artists that are all exploring this concept and it is fitting that it is staged by According to McGee whose ethos is all about showcasing thought provoking, contemporary work."

BLOB Elementals' runs until 7th September at According to McGee, Tower Street, opposite Clifford's Tower.