Felicity Hughes
Felicity choses to paint flowers as they lend themselves very well to the vibrant water colours now available , mainly painting wet in wet she now also use inks, inktense and also Brusho. Her other art work is pottery, having taken this up again after a 30 year break. She has recently been learning how to throw pots on the wheel using porcelain. Felicity says she loves the white of the clay and decorates using a 'sgraffito' technique.
Virginia Griem
" I have been painting for many years, but in recently my painting has become much more experimental. When I work with clay I feel that the clay often shows me what shape it wants to be, and of course I don't know how the final piece will look until it comes out of the kiln. I have been trying to have a similar relationship with paint, a sort of conversation. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes I don't know what a painting is going to look like, or what the subject is, until I have worked on it over various sessions. I find this way of working very exciting." Most of the paintings on show will be acrylics, but Virginia also works in watercolour and ink, as well as stoneware ceramics.
Clare Jenkinson
She has always had a love of drawing and went on to study botanical illustration at Birmingham University, founding the Birmingham Society of Botanical Artists with fellow students. The discipline of observational drawing underlies and informs both her design work and painting, and working from life studying natural forms – flowering plants, shells, fungi, insects – is an instrinsic part of her practice.
Recent exhibitions include ‘Botanical Inspirations’ at RAMM, Exeter, SWAc Open at Exeter Castle, Artizan ‘The Power of Three’ , Open exhibitions at Harbour House in Kingsbridge, ‘Tor to Shore’ at Birdwood House and Devon Open Studios at TAAG in Teignmouth.
Clare exhibits regularly in Teignmouth where she is now based, at the TAAG centre and with Teignmouth Art Society.
Her work is also represented at Gallery Number 2 in Dawlish, and online on Torbay arthub, Art Gallery SW and her own website: clarejenkinson.co.uk
Anne Read
Anne enjoys the challenge of watercolour and has recently started to experiment with different techniques using tissue paper or gesso to add random depth and texture to her paintings.She considers herself very lucky to live in Devon where there is such a wealth of beautiful coastline and countryside to inspire her.
Clare Benson
Clare draws from observation, often outdoors on the eastern edge of Dartmoor where she lives. Oil pastels are a favourite medium, and she tries to capture the colours of the landscape in changing seasons and weather.
For this exhibitionClare has chosen some studies of wild flowers and plants, both seen close-up and as they appear in the landscape.
Rhian Wyn Harrison works from her home studio in Paignton, creating quirky and colourful mixed media art.
She repurposes old books, newspapers and maps as both the backgrounds and the inspiration for her work. Her challenge is always to find an unexpected interpretation between word and image. Rhian draws straight onto the vintage papers, then enhances with colour, using inks, gouache and soft pastels, finally adding a sprinkle of wit or humour with hand-stamped lettering.
Her distinct style lends itself to many subjects and themes. Rhian has built an extensive local following, successfully exhibiting at a number of Devon galleries, including Delamore Arts, SWAc Open and Torre Abbey.
She has recently been selected as one of the UNESCO Global Geopark ambassador artists for Torbay.
www.rhianwynharrison.com
www.facebook.com/rhianwynharrisonillustrations
ROGER LISSENDEN WIRE SCULPTOR
Having learnt the basics from renowned wire sculptor Celia Smith I have progressed to develop my own styles and techniques.
My original inspiration was the bird life of Devon’s coast and countryside. This allowed me to create life and movement in my interpretation of the subjects.
Encouraged by success at my latest exhibitions and falling back on the design aspect of my commercial career I have sculpted a series of impressionist silhouettes based on the human form and abstract shapes from nature .
I will be showing new works in my original style at the forthcoming exhibition.
Des Maxwell Clark is a watercolourist specialising in landscape and natural history subjects. He also paints more "off the wall" subjects in great detail, such as a naughty cat who has knocked over a vase of flowers. He has exhibited many times at TAAG, five times at the South West Academy and last summer at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery. This exhibition will include some very detailed studies of flowers and birds, reflecting Des's past as a scientist.
He will be joined by his wife Anna Grayson, who was the first woman to present a "Natural World" programme for BBC 2. She is now an artist, currently best known for her Pastiche Photography of famous works of art. She will be showing some of her work for this exhibition including homages to Van Gogh's Sunflowers and to Georgia O'Keefe's flower close-ups.
Gill Greatorex
I am driven with a desire to expunge the world of waste in every form and turn it into something beautiful. Plastic clinging to trees and hedges, graphically traumatised squashed cans beside the road, sweetie wrappers glistening beguilingly after the chocolate has long gone. All my life I have hoarded just about everything. I believe you can tell the age of the hoarder by counting the species of artful detritus in their cupboards and shelves.
There is something especially ludicrously luscious about a pile of foil milk bottle tops in many different colours waiting to be turned into sculptures, colour sorted t-shirts ready to hook into rag rugs and assorted other rubbish about to be recycled into something stunning. I’m especially excited by the intertwingling of rural crafts such as cob and willow with twinkly adornments such as disco balls, foil, sparkly beads and CDs.
I live in Bishopsteignton where my mantra is the five (not three!) Rs; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Resplendent display, Responsible disposal. In 2005 I founded an Outdoor Art group in our village (BOAG) to have fun making art out of found waste and sustainable materials. We have displayed many award-winning sculptures on Teignmouth seafront using an array of materials such as plastics, CDs and squashed drinks cans. One of the largest, ‘The Hub’ made from 1,500 hub caps, was bought by Eden Project.
My ultimate mission is to make jewel-encrusted dog poo so desirable that it is never left anywhere hanging in plastic bags!
Anne Gwynn
