Autumn Showcase

About

Arthur Homeshaw
Arthur Homeshaw was a Westcountry artist whose work tapped into the deep-rooted influence that represent the best in British art. These perspectives are discernible in both his linocuts and his pastels. Furthermore, his work displays an imagination that is both exuberant yet introverted and at times secretive. This paradoxical quality infuses all his work.

Homeshaw developed a stylised manner of rendering reality which explored the land and the sea as many of the best English artists have done. This style is delivered with a constant delight that is barely concealed in his work. It consists of the striking use of bold tonal contrasts and complex patterning. There are also bubbling textures redolent of Samuel Palmer’s work (1805 – 1881). Arthur Homeshaw’s work can be placed in the English romantic tradition of Paul Nash (1889 – 1946) and his work also reveals the influence of the wood engravings of Eric Ravilious (1903 – 1942).

The power of his images was the product of a reputation that had been established over fifty years of artistic endeavour. He was a member of the Royal West of England Academy from 1964 and in his last exhibition there in 2010, he was a senior member of the Academy. Arthur Homeshaw’s work has been purchased by the Victoria & Albert Museum. (Dockside Terraces) In addition, his linocuts were selected for the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1964, 1984 and 1985. His work is now highly collectible.

F. G. Davis
George Davis is a leading contemporary artist who has exhibited widely in the UK and internationally, sharing his working time between homes in Devon and the South of France. Known principally for his exquisite use of colour, texture and pattern, he explores many and varied themes with acrylic, collage, watercolour, gouache and mixed media. His work is unique in its diversity, encompassing a wide range of subject matter taken from his everyday experiences and memories, working in a full range of scales, from intricate detailed pieces to bold large works. Interpretations are often witty and playful, capturing the essence of his starting points with a keen perceptive insight, frequently completed as part of an extensive series of work which testify to his love of experimentation.

Jo West
Living on the beautiful south coast of Devon, Jo West is a contemporary artist heavily influenced by her rural upbringing, exploring themes surrounding the natural world. With a background in psychology having worked with vulnerable people for over 15 years, works turn towards the connections between nature, wellness and spirituality, and Jo attributes focusing on the needs and feelings of others as inspiration for much of her process. Striking works are produced using acrylics, mixed media and resin with a variety of processes called upon to create intricate layers with crystals, metal leaf, fine glitter, iridescent powder and fibre for works with incredible depth. A love of experimentation drives progress in Jo’s work, with the core aim being to transport the viewer to a happy place. Colour is used powerfully with the intention to influence emotion in the audience.

“Colour is nature’s signalling system and I am fascinated with how it can affect behaviour. The endless colours surrounding us and the natural changing elements evoke emotion which I try to convey through my paintings.”

Martin Dutton SWAc
“I have been compulsively making pictures for sixty-three years now, and my zeal is unabated! My work is multifaceted, and I am interested in many aspects of the creation of visual images. Over the years this diversity of ideas and subject matter has resolved itself into the identification of different "themes" in my working process - different starting points, different final aims. I work on an individual theme for as long as the creative flow is alive or until the activity is interrupted by life’s events and personal circumstances. After the interruption I will often return to a previous theme which will, in turn, follow its own unpredictable time scale.”

Susan Cavaliere
“My work has been inspired by an admiration of surrealism and abstraction and is driven by an interest in mythology, folklore and fantasy. In earlier years, I lived on Salisbury Plain and had some family connections with Stonehenge, which developed an early interest with the myths and legends surrounding Druids and Pagans. When I lived in London, my attentions diversified, and I began to explore historical sites like the Tower of London, drawn to its Ravens and the tales surrounding it. After finally settling in Devon, I became fascinated by the King Arthur legend and visited Tintagel and Glastonbury. Now I regularly visit different castles to soak up the atmosphere and learn about the folklore.”

“Art and paintings have always been a big part of my life and the fine art groundings from my studies at Salisbury School of Art had a big impact, providing me the confidence and inspiration needed to experiment with new methods, such as combination practices using both oils and waxes. I create my pieces through colour and tonal layering and balance in my work is hugely important. To a degree, this structuring offers a form of meditation, when I feel happy and relaxed, I know that a piece is finished. The eye must be led around the painting leaving room for the imagination to fill in details.”

Kirsteen Titchener
Kirsteen Titchener is a self-taught photographic artist from Devon. Using modern digital editing techniques to combine her own photographs allows for the creation of images that go beyond what can be created in a single traditional photograph. Drawing from a background in psychology her images make sense of something words cannot always portray.

Kirsteen’s work has received international recognition with recent accomplishments including; 13th Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers (2019) category winner; The Visual Art Gold Medal awarded by The Royal Photographic Society (2018), 1st Place in the International Photographer of the Year (2017) - photomanipulation category.