The Old Courthouse Gallery is collaborating with Victoria Rose Miller, a Lake District artist and fell runner, to showcase original oil paintings of all 214 of Wainwright’s Lake District fells.
The exhibition, opening on August 2, will be the first of its kind.
Since their first publication in 1955, more than 20 million copies of the books have been sold.
In these books, Wainwright outlines 214 Lake District peaks, which have become known as the “Wainwrights.”
However, Ms Rose Miller wants to highlight Wainwright’s artistic talent, which is perhaps less well-known.
Inspired by his detailed sketches of the fells, she will follow in his footsteps, climbing and painting all 214 of the Wainwright peaks.
This will culminate in a solo exhibition that will run for more than two months at the Old Courthouse Gallery.
The gallery, which celebrated its 30th year in 2024, is known for showcasing the best contemporary arts from the Lakes and around Britain.
It has represented some of the Lake District’s greatest artists.
The “Painting the Wainwrights” exhibition is set to be one of the biggest and longest-running exhibitions the Ambleside gallery has ever hosted and the first known exhibition to feature original oil paintings depicting all 214 Wainwright peaks.
Paul and Caroline Jones, gallery owners, said: “We’re excited to be hosting this special exhibition which will give visitors the unique opportunity to view artwork of all the Wainwrights in one place.
“Victoria’s paintings are always popular with our visitors and this collection is sure to be a real talking point.”
Ms Rose Miller was raised in South Africa and trained under the late Francois Visser.
Her early work focused on the dramatic African landscape with its expansive skies and rugged interior.
She sold her first painting at the age of 14, before being represented by renowned galleries in her late teens and early twenties.
Ms Rose Miller then moved to the Lake District permanently in 2018.
She said: “After a thyroid cancer diagnosis in my early thirties, I decided to leave a career in marketing and return to art.
“Life is too short not to follow your dreams.
“I work predominantly in oil, painting the landscape as I experience it on my travels by foot over the fells.
“I’m passionate about capturing the power and beauty of nature through art and my work embodies my love for the area.”
An avid fell runner, Ms Rose Miller has completed many of the iconic Lake District fell races, including the classic Lake District Mountain Trial, Wasdale Horseshoe and Borrowdale fell race.
She has also provided hill support to several fellow runners who have endeavoured to break the record for the shortest time taken to complete the Wainwrights in one continuous run – a record currently held by John Kelly (five days, 12 hours and 14 minutes).
Ms Rose Miller added: “While Alfred Wainwright MBE is more well known for his detailed guidebooks and for inspiring walkers and runners into the hills, it’s his artistic talent that I really want to highlight.
“I know only too well the healing power that being out in nature offers, along with the therapeutic benefits of the arts.
“I hope this exhibition will inspire others not only to get out into the fells but to embrace their own artistic talents too.”
The exhibition is set to run from August 2 until October 3 at the Old Courthouse Gallery in Ambleside.
There will be an invitation-only event on the evening of Friday, August 1.
For more information, visit oldcourthousegallery.com or email the gallery at gallery@ocg-arts.com.