Exhibition: Landscapes

Saturday 5th March 2011 – Monday 25th April 2011

For its spring exhibition, Otterton Mill Gallery is showcasing a quartet of South West artists for whom the natural environment inspires their art.

The first of the artists is renowned painter Robert Jennison RWA. Robert sees "landscape as dynamic rather than fixed, commonplace perhaps, rather than picturesque, to be sensed and experienced rather than be looked at nostalgically." His work, which ranges from oil paintings, to pencil and pastel images, reflects the moods and atmosphere as well as the regional character of Devon where he lives and works. Robert studied at the West of England College of Art in the 1950's, then taught at schools in Bristol, before becoming a Lecturer at St Luke's College and the University in Exeter. Since 1984, he has devoted his time exclusively to painting. His work is shown throughout the West Country, and he is a regular exhibitor at the RWA and the Royal Ulster Academy in Belfast. In 1997, he had a solo show at Il Tempo Ritrovato in Milan, and he is represented in numerous private and public collections in Britain, Canada, USA, South Africa, Australia Germany and Denmark. For the Mill exhibition, Robert is showing a number of pieces depicting the landscapes of Dartmoor.

The second artist is emerging painter Amy Cummins, who depicts landscapes from her childhood and other places she has lived, including her birthplace Sidmouth. Amy studied at Falmouth College of Art before completing a PGCE to teach Art in Further Education. She is inspired by capturing the essence of what is around her, as well as depicting the people in her life, and has produced an extensive portfolio of both portrait studies and landscape oil paintings. Her work is both abstract and expressionist in style. She has sold to a number of private collectors and exhibited in London at the Goethe Institute, as well as a number of East Devon galleries.

Stained glass artist Amy McCarthy is a regular exhibitor at Otterton Mill. Having studied Art History and Sociology at Leeds University, Amy trained as a specialist mental health worker. After a gap of several years, a move to Devon in 2003 renewed her creative focus and she studied stained glass at Exeter College. She now combines her work as a stained glass artist with raising her two young children. For the Mill exhibition, Amy is exhibiting a number of stained glass landscapes utilising acid etching techniques to depict local scenes of Budleigh and Sidmouth. Amy's style is expressionist and bold, and is characterised by simple, striking designs portrayed in bright colours and strong lines. She is inspired by the stylised forms of the Art Deco period, as well as the local Devon countryside and coast.

Felt artist Sally Pepperell is also one of the Mill's regular stable of artists. Based in Dorset, Sally creates felt art that depicts local scenes, from the rolling Devon hills to the sunlight hitting trees. Working from memory and from photographs, Sally captures the details that she sees in a land or sea-scape so that it comes alive. The natural landforms created by the geology of the local Dorset and Devon coast provide shapes and textures that lend themselves very well to the felting technique she has developed using wool and other natural fibres. For this exhibition, Sally is showing a number of framed originals and framed prints.

We are delighted to house this fascinating collection of work that showcases how different artists interpret the landscapes around them, many of which will be familiar to our visitors, in a variety of methods, techniques and styles. This is an exhibition that is striking in its use of colour and the sense of energy that comes through the landscapes portrayed. Once again, we are proud to demonstrate the wealth of creative excellence that is found in the South West, and which is at the heart of our ethos at the Mill Gallery.

The exhibition runs daily until Monday 25th April. Entry is free.

Otterton Mill Gallery is housed in the historic mill building and the artworks are displayed against the backdrop of the ancient mill workings. The Gallery shows a constantly changing selection of work by leading South West artists and features paintings, sculpture, furniture, prints, photography, ceramics, glass, textiles, jewellery, mixed media, metal and wood. The Gallery also incorporates a craft shop selling exceptional crafts and affordable gifts made by West Country craftspeople.