TWO artists who believe their work should reflect and comment on the state of the world we live in have joined forces for a show called Relationships, due to open at the Visual Arts gallery at Watford Grammar School for Girls next month. Dawn Somers and Georgie Cowan both focus on family, but in slightly different ways.

Dawn fears for the gradual disappearance of family values. She says: "I see the use of technology overshadowing the basic human feelings of sense, touch, feel and relate. Physically and mentally, we are in danger of being too detached from those around us. My work is an expression of close relationships in life and my childhood memories. Fond memories and relationships make us feel we are alive, and that we always have someone to relate to." She has added a little humour to her images as "a reflection of how I view life".

Georgie Cowan, who grew up in Glasgow, was inspired by William Hogarth, who produced works of art that reflected the disturbing behavioural problems that beset society and humanity in London (The City of Sin) in the 18th Century. "Following this tradition, my work tries to reflect certain underlying problems that are either ignored or not freely talked about," she said. She adds: "With the use of small figures and animals placed in tableaux, I draw attention to the relationships and culpability of unacceptable behaviour such as spanking, money lending and people treating their pets better than humans."

The two artists first met as mature students each doing a BA in Fine Arts back in 1994. They discovered the joy of sharing when they, along with other students, were invited to create a mural for children at a doctor's surgery in Watford and, later, the mural along the wall on Charter Place shopping centre. The pair have since shared several exhibitions such as Arsenal and Flags, at Highgate in 2002, as well as staging solo shows both locally and in London. Dawn returned to Highgate with Proud to be British and also dedicated a show to Watford Football Club at the Grammar School gallery. She has reluctantly "taken up" the computer. "I accept we need it for certain aspects of communications," says Dawn, "but it should not replace face to face communication and I will go on using the telephone to talk to family and friends." As an artist, she sees it as her "mission" to comment and to be topical and humourous in her acrylic reflections.

Relationships, an exhibition of paintings and prints by Dawn Somers and Georgie Cowan, at the Visual Arts Centre at Watford Grammar School for Girls from Thursday, March 6 until Tuesday, March 18. Details: www.wggs-artscollege.ik.org