POPULAR contemporary artists, Peter and Jayne Smith, will be appearing at a York gallery next weekend to showcase their latest collection, entitled Eccentricus Britannicus.

Local art fans will be able to meet the husband and wife duo at Castle Fine Art in The Coppergate Centre on next Saturday from 1pm-3pm.

An exhibition of the works will then run for a further week.

Peter and Jayne’s latest release is their most raucous collection to date.

It contains a humorous culmination of Victorian imagery, reinvented literature and adult jokes, and features famous British icons such as Sherlock Holmes, Punch and Judy and Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts.

As part of the meet the artist event, Peter and Jayne will be releasing an exclusive remarked edition of their painting titled Doctor Whowhoo and the Planet of Crapcomicon, and for each one purchased, Peter will personally hand-paint the buyer’s chosen characters into their piece.

Speaking about the new collection, Peter Smith said: “Eccentricus Britannicus is not a Harry Potter Brexit spell, it’s a tour de force of collectable and unique Pythonesque imagery twisted with history, surrealism and penny dreadful Victorian storytelling. It’s artwork that you can proudly hang on your wall and say to jealous friends: ‘You’ll never believe what this is about’.”

Fliss Whittingham, gallery manager at Castle Fine Art, York, said: “This brand new collection has a notably humorous tone, a signature style for which Peter and Jayne have become renowned.

“Our meet the artists event is an ideal opportunity to hear first-hand about the stories behind each new piece and the work undertaken by both Peter and Jayne to bring this beautiful collection into being – which will no doubt be savoured by collectors and art lovers alike.”