A RETROSPECTIVE exhibition of work by two artists who spent many years in Helensburgh opens on Saturday at the town’s library.

Some 40 works by the late Henry Edward (Ted) and Elizabeth Odling will be on display, including paintings, drawings, lino prints, mural work and diverse art and craft objects, representing the wide span of their creative output.

Ted and Elizabeth lived and worked on the west coast of Scotland throughout their artistic careers of some 50 years and made Helensburgh their home from 1965 to 1982.

Ted was a member of staff at the Glasgow School of Art from 1949 to 1982 where he introduced many innovative teaching techniques and was latterly Head of the Foundation Year. His work was informed by his interest in science and technology.

He was a keen photographer and cinematographer from the 1940s and devised an early experiment in 3D television which was shown on BBC Scotland in 1959.

Both he and Elizabeth worked as freelance artists for, amongst others, the BBC and the National Trust for Scotland.

Together they created a number of short films for the BBC, including Tam o’ Shanter (Robert Burns) and the traditional Scottish ballad, Sir Patrick Spens.

Elizabeth also produced many illustrations for the Radio Times during the 1950s and her drawings and engravings are marked by a close attention to detail.

Throughout their careers, Ted and Elizabeth often worked as a team producing murals for the Burns Club in Irvine, The Burns Cottage Museum, Culzean Castle and Chatelherault Country Park. Their murals at the Burns Club in Irving are still in existence.

Ted was a keen member of Helensburgh Orchestral Society, where he played the viola, and it was while living in Helensburgh that he began making violas and violins, one of which is on show in the exhibition.

During their time in Helensburgh, Elizabeth worked in book illustration and on mural projects for the National Trust for Scotland at Culzean in Ayrshire.

In the 60s and 70s, Ted and Elizabeth and their children spent holidays in Argyll, when Ted produced many sensitive watercolour sketches of west coast scenes and Elizabeth, when not occupied by family life, created detailed drawings of natural objects and created embroidery of landscapes and flowers.

They finally moved to the Isle of Lismore on Ted’s retirement in 1982 where they lived and continued to work for some 22 years.

The exhibition opens on Saturday, September 1 from 10.30am to 12.30pm in Helensburgh Library – all are welcome.

The exhibition will remain in place at the library until the end of October.