Ruth Bowyer

Ruth Bowyer was born, in Brixham, into a family with a great history of artistic endeavour. Her Grandfather, John Bowyer was principal of Putney School of Art and a landscape and portrait artist in the early 1900s.Her Uncle Alan was also a landscape and portrait artist and Aunt Hilda, a miniaturist. Ruth’s father, Harold Bowyer, with whom she studied following studies at Newton Abbot, Dartington and Crewe and Alsager Colleges of Art, was also a professional artist.

Ruth paints beautiful still life oils, reminiscent of the Dutch masters. They feature metal and ceramic objects, fruit, nuts and textiles. Her paintings have developed from an on-going study of form, light, shade, design, colour and reflection. Ruth is frequently seen in her paintings, reflected in the metallic objects.

Ruth is also a celebrated portrait artist. Of both people and animals. During the summer months she can be found on The Quay in Brixham, sketching pencil portraits.

John Gillo

 

John Gillo graduated from Brighton School of Art in 1970. He taught in various schools and colleges including Falmouth School of Art 1972-1974.

John established The John Gillo Gallery in Dartmouth, Devon in 1976.Through his gallery he developed a reputation for watercolours, drawing his inspiration from the local environment and painting atmospheric images of scenes of Dartmouth, the South Hams, Brixham and Torquay.

More recently, John has worked with acrylic paints, creating images of local scenes with deep tones, full; of atmosphere and pathos. He has also had a lot of fun painting more abstract pieces of hillside towns; these have some rather unexpected figures appearing in them!

Whilst John sold the gallery in 2004, he continues to exhibit through reputable galleries nationally and in Dartmouth, Brixham and Kingsbridge.

 

David Cowell

 

David Cowell is at the forefront of digital art technology and a consultant for American Universities. His digital art never ceases to arouse questions and conversation. David makes unique chorratinta originals using his free hand and a specialised computer. Images are built mark on mark, by the laying down of transparent colour over colour. Gradually the image is created in much the same way as traditional methods. David’s use of colour, texture, imagery and masterful composition is a symbiosis of modern technology and years of learnt traditional skills.

David is influenced by the impressionists, Turner and Whistler being hugely influential, viewing digital media as a contemporary means through which artists create and make responses to their surrounding environment, emotions or abstract thoughts.

David works under the premise that “The mind is like a parachute, it helps to open it”.

 

Elisabeth Hadley

 

Elisabeth Hadley studied Ceramics BA Hons at Bristol Polytechnic and went on to The Sir Henry Doulton School of Sculpture to study a postgraduate Figurative Sculpture course.

Elisabeth’s love of her art is split almost equally between the figurative and stylised. She has travelled widely, finding inspiration in African Art, her African bronzes being highly sought after. She also has a passion for Greek mythology. This can be seen in her impeccably sculpted “Leda and the Swan” and “Azereal” amongst others.

In 2006, Elisabeth sculpted a life-size mermaid, cast in bronze, which can be seen by passing craft as they near Dartmouth Castle, Devon. The mermaid has fast become a landmark and tourist attraction. Elisabeth is now working on a project for a one and a half times life-size bronze sculpture to be placed on the quay as a tribute to the fishermen of Brixham.

Emma Carter

 

Emma Carter graduated from Middlesex University with a BA Hons degree in Fine Art in 1995.

Emma takes a meditative approach to her paintings, drawing her inspiration from the ever-changing natural landscapes and seascapes that surround her.

Emma travelled extensively from the tops of the Himalayas and Andes, to the Coral Reefs of the Great Barrier Reef and the depths of the Amazon. Her imagination has been fired by some of the world’s most sacred and stunning places.

Emma paints using oils and acrylics; the images are a reflection of her mind, her memory and her vision of beautiful places.

We only catch tiny signs of human life in Emma’s paintings; a glimpse of a sail boat, a row of planted olive trees, a small dwelling amongst a field of flowers set against the immense backdrop of mountains.

In today’s hectic and visually overloaded society, Emma’s vast and open compositions provide a visual escape into a serene and ethereal world. Emma hopes that the free spirit, in all of us is evoked by looking at and becoming part of her paintings.

Emma lives in Paignton with her husband and children. She has exhibited internationally through galleries and undertaken commissions for both corporate and private collectors, the most recent being a commission for seascape paintings for Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Derek Hayward

 

Derek Hayward came to creating his wonderful dichroic glass jewellery, cufflinks, tiepins and glass picture pieces 10 years ago following studies at South Devon College and other institutions.

Dichroic Glass is made from a multi-layered coating of quartz crystals and metal oxides placed on glass using a technical vacuum deposition process. The crystal and oxides are vaporised onto the glass in the form of crystal structures.

Light is either transmitted through the glass or reflected back causing an array of different colours in a piece of glass. Because of the variations in the firing process, results can never be exactly reproduced. Each piece, from tiny stud earrings to large wall pieces is therefore unique.

Derek designs, cuts and fuses glass in his kiln, often repeating the process several times to produce his creations.

The fused glass pictures are strongly influenced and inspired by Derek’s fascination with the sea, the light falling onto water, the way waves move. They glisten, sparkle and shine and the colours alter as the viewer and the light moves around them.

 

Abigail North

'...each opening of the kiln feels like an unwrapping of presents; the process of beginning to throw a
vessel on the wheel with my eyes shut , relying on my fingers to 'see', is like discovering an extra
sense; the thrill of carefully and sometimes obsessively turning each piece until the shape and form
of a vessel is exactly what I want it to be never weakens; the experiencing of withdrawal symptoms
when I can't be in the studio for a period of time; the solitude, peace and privacy when I do spend
time in my workshop leaving everything else behind for a while; the feeling that in making pots
very little raw material is ever wasted and nearly everything is recycled when things don't turn out
quite right; always thinking about ceramics as soon as I awake and if I can't sleep;
reading everything I can about the subject sometimes several times over; an overwhelming sense
that this is what I really want to do and am simply unable to stop...'

Abigail studied ceramics in London and Devon and spent a year as a studio assistant to the potter Penny Simpson, before setting up
her own studio on the edge of Dartmoor. Work consists mainly of
elegant bowl and vase forms which tend to be finely thrown with
narrow tapering bases.

The exteriors of both earthenware and stoneware vessels have
matte finishes in a range of colours,and interiors are glazed with
a glossy transparent glaze. In addition, a ‘bubbly stoneware’ range
is achieved through the addition of oxide stained clay within
the clay body. Most pieces are intendedt o be decorative,
but the range of functional bowls/dishes Abigail makes can be
washed in the dishwasher and are ovenproof.
Work has been exhibited and sold through galleries around the U.K., via craft fairs and private commissions.

Recently commissioned work includes a number of pieces for the bathrooms at the
Gidleigh Park Hotel.