SW Academy Open and Four Go Mad in Teignmouth

South West Academy Open

During the rest of this week you can catch the South West Academy Open exhibition at St Stephens in Exeter (opposite Urban Outfitters) . Exhibitors include old friends Anna Grayson & Des Maxwell Clark, and Maureen Fayle from Teignmouth, who received a well-deserved commendation for her picture of Hay Tor.

 

Four Go Mad in Teignmouth

While most of the 2014 Devon Open Studio exhibitions are now finished, the work at TAAG remains on show until Saturday. The artists are Angie Jenner, Julia Vella, Amy McCarthy and Michelle Greenwood Brown and the work includes mosaics, glasswork, and some innovatory illuminated painting.

Glass work by Amy McCarthy

Also on show at the TAAG gallery are some colourful abstracts by Paul Ansell, which are well worth a look. Both the Teignmouth and Exeter exhibitions finish on September 27th.

Art in the Sun: August 9-10 (final weekend)

Yesterday I went along to the Art in the Sun exhibition in Ingsdon, Newton Abbot. The exhibition features the work of five artists in a barn and in the surrounding woodlands and is well worth a visit. It includes Ben Yates' studio where you can see his electronic creations. When I visited, Ben kindly spent some time explaining to me how he creates these pieces and answering my questions.

Ben Yates (at TAAG)

I've previously seen Ben's awesome creations when he was exhibiting at TAAG, and posted some photos in my blog. In the current exhibition you can also see a number of his clever photocubism pieces - photographs combined with wood cubes of varying depths (are they still cubes?) - unusual and nicely executed work.

'Photocubism' by Ben Yates

There is also some beautiful sculpture and mixed media work by Luci Coles; and op art (mainly different diamond configurations) by Bob Bruce.

Luci Coles

The other artists are Harbz, who brings a touch of urban grit to the exhibition, and stained glass pieces by Amy McCarthy.

Amy McCarthy (Yarner Woods)

This is a fascinating mix of work displayed in an idyllic setting, when the sun is shining. I only hope that this weekend remains dry and that people get the chance to get along and see it.

The location is just beyond the turning for Hannah's, on the A383 out of Newton Abbot - so you could easily combine this with a visit to the absorbing exhibition of digital work by Michael Takeo Magruder at Hannah's. I'll be posting about this shortly.

TRAIL - Recycled Art in Teignbridge

The TRAIL (Teignbridge Recycled Art In Landscape) festival of environmental sculptures features 34 works - from a wide variety of contributors - displayed in the open air on the South West coastal path between Dawlish and Shaldon. There is also an exhibition of smaller works at TAAG in Teignmouth. Here is a selection of the pieces on Teignmouth seafront:

Oceana - ACE No pressure group

Raindrops - Amy McCarthy

Chameleon 2011 - Fiona Campbel

They shall inherit the earth ... - Janec van Veen

Happiness is just a teardrop away - Stepping Out LD programme

Coloured Wings - Limited Edition group

The pictures alone don't do the works justice and there are many more to see. The accompanying descriptions and the ingenuity of the materials both contribute to the pieces - and it's fascinating to listen to people discussing the merits/demerits of each piece as you walk along the front.

Bottle top brooches - Amy McCarthy

The exhibition at TAAG is also well worth a look. There are wire pieces by Deborah Duffin, glass objects - including bottle-top brooches - by Amy McCarthy, textile work by Jill Harbottle, characteristic paintings by Jane Burt, sculptures by Peter and Vera Stride, and some great collages by Gill Bowley (dedicated to Kurt Schwitters!). The exhibition ends on 2nd September.