The exhibition, titled The Circle, features the works of Judith Hill, Maryanne Ireland, Dorothy Compton, Clare Felton, Jacquie Immens-McCoy and Deb Ansell.

The women met while undertaking Morris's painting class at Newcastle ArtSpace in 2015.

"We all signed up for his class and accidentally met," Ansell said.

"It was a general painting class where he would assist you to pursue whatever avenue of painting you were into."

Ansell said Morris had created a space for people who were '"serious" about their art practice.

"I walked in on my first day and every one was silent," Ansell said.

"Everyone was very intent on what they are doing, and I thought that these people are here for the right reasons."

Ireland said it was Morris's knowledge of art that made the class so useful.

"He is really wonderful at imparting that," she said.

"What I noticed is, he could take everyone with their different types of art, and he helped them, even though they were quite disparate types of art we were pursuing."

The classes finished when Newcastle ArtSpace moved from Parry Street to its current Chinchen Street location.

"We occasionally get together for dinner, we have an annual exhibition," Ms Felton said.

The exhibition's name refers to their circle of friendship.

The exhibition includes works on paper, oils on canvas and boards, felt on ply, ceramics and draws mostly on the natural world for its subject matter.

"We work separately, and we don't know what each other are doing," Ansell said. "It's like Christmas when we bring the works together for the shows.

"Every show we have done, tonally they just seem to fit together."

The Circle is on now at Art Systems Wickham, 40 Annie Street, until May 12.

art-systems-wickham.com