Few lives in this part of Dorset have not been touched in some way by the River Stour.
Whether you’ve fished or paddled in its waters, or live in one of the many places that take its name – from Stourpaine and Stour Provost, to Stourton and Sturminster Newton – it will have played a part in your life.
Shaftesbury artist Gary Cook has been similarly enchanted, and charts the Stour’s stately progress, from a spring at Stourhead in Wiltshire, to a river meeting the sea.
His exhibition, Wend: The Stour From Source To Sea at The Art Stable in Child Okeford, features 30 watercolours he has produced, celebrating the Stour’s 61-mile journey to the English Channel.
“My paintings include silhouettes and names of the many species that I see and are dependent on the river and which are sadly threatened by pollution,” he says.
As well as producing the atmospheric artworks, Gary, who was the senior artist at The Sunday Times for more than 25 years, has also researched his beloved subject.
He says there are 48 tributaries that make up the 781 miles of rivers and streams feeding the Stour. “This has given me lots of scope for painting sites and I’m receiving lots of interest in the upcoming show, as rivers really strike a chord with people” he says.
The exhibition takes place at The Art Stable, Child Okeford, from June 11 to July 9.
Visit: cookthepainter.com.

by Faith Eckersall