SOME people might think that artist Joannah May is harebrained because she tends to concentrate on painting just one species.

Ms May, who runs the Studio Gallery in Marlborough, previously worked as a wildlife illustrator and this is evident in her work.

She specialises in painting studies of hares in different poses and her work is so detailed that almost every hair on their coats can be seen.

Her work is so successful she cannot keep up with the demand for her original works and they are snapped up before they are completed.

The last three were all sold at the unfinished stage for £1,950.

She was still putting the finishing touches to her latest work Autumn Hare which shows two hares sparring up to each other in an autumnal setting when it was bought by a Dorset farmer.

She said: "It was nice that it was bought by another farmer because the last two had gone to farmers as well."

Recently she visited Tony Holly, of Brent Knoll in Somerset, a man who has spent his life studying hares. He has appeared on many radio and TV programmes talking about his love of hares.

Ms May said: "He has lent me loads of books and photographs he has taken so I can continue my studies of hares for my paintings."

A limited number of her prints are available at £250 framed and £150 unframed.

The artist has done 12 paintings of birds of prey and owls for a calendar for the Hawk Conservancy at Weyhill near Andover.

Her studio will be one of those open on the Marlborough Open Studios weekends, July 12-13, July 19-20 and July 26-27.