Devon Open Studios bursary winners announced

Devon Artist Network (DAN) with Chagford-based sponsor  Helpful Holidays is delighted to announce the winners of the Devon Open Studios Emerging Artist Bursary Scheme and the Joanna Radford Award 2017 - an initiative that opens the doors of opportunity to five lucky artists, living and working in Devon.

Devon Open Studios is a FREE visual arts event, and the largest showcase for art in the county.

The event gives the public a glimpse into the life of the working artist, and the ability to buy works of art at source without gallery commission. Meanwhile, Devon artists get the chance to connect with a broad range of visitors from local buyers and tourists to curators, institutions and international art scouts. It is an annual event that attracts over 35,000 visitors per year.

Organiers are grateful to their key sponsor, Helpful Holidays, which has grown to become one of the UK’s leading holiday home agencies, for funding the Emerging Artist Bursary has run for seven years.

“The Helpful Holidays team is delighted to be sponsoring the Devon Open Studios event again this year.” said Moray Bowater, Managing Director of Helpful Holidays, “We’re passionate about the region and we’re pleased to have an opportunity to offer bursaries and support these emerging artists who are wonderfully talented. It’s exciting to see the creative works inspired by the beauty of the West Country, and observing the techniques and skills behind the studio scenes is a fascinating experience for our holidaymakers.”

The Joanna Radford Award, which is an annual prize, was founded last year in honour of one of a most respected and cherished DAN founder member, the artist, Joanna Radford.

The overall winner receives £150 towards artist materials plus the full £150 entry fee totaling £300. The runners up each receive the full entry fee.

Chagford-based sponsor Helpful Holidays part-fund the entry fee, to enable five artists to participate by generously giving them each £100 which is completed with £50 per artist from the Joanna Radford Award.

Applicants for the bursaries must be based in Devon and have registered for Devon Open Studios 2017. All art forms were considered by the Devon Artist Network panel which was drawn from volunteers who serve on the Network’s management committee.

This year’s overall winner of the Joanna Radford Award and Bursaries, is Annette Pearson from Exmouth, currently working part-time as a Design Technology Teacher at Exmouth Community College.

“I am so excited and extremely grateful, “ said Annette. “I’m really looking forward to Devon Open Studios. I’ve been attending various art and printmaking courses in my spare time and I’ve realised this is ‘my time’ to develop my art, find my style and try to become the artist I have always wanted to be.

"Over the last year I’ve worked hard, learning and developing new processes and I finally feel ready to get out there and face the public.'

Annette has recently been experimenting with alcohol inks. “These inks have an immediate visual impact but are quite difficult to control,” she explains, “I’m still finding new ways to use them and enjoy exploring their unique qualities. I’m also developing various forms of printing, mainly lino and dry point, which I’m now mixing with the ink medium with very exciting results. I’m hope that winning the prize Joanna Radford Award and Devon Open Studios will introduce me to an audience and allow me to become part of a network of artists.”

The four runners up are: Caroline Morgan, Nicola Axe, Shirley Bebbington and Belinda Reynell. 

Shirley Bebbington – Exeter

Shirley said:  “I was an Art teacher for 25 years before recently being made redundant - a shock when it happened, but a surprise chance to start a new career.”

Since the New Year, Shirley has started to paint in earnest, dedicating her day to exploring painting and colour in the area of portraiture.

"People's faces are fascinating. It's my personal quest over the next few years, to explore and develop my skills in the application of paint and colour, also, to capture the sitter using these techniques as economically as possible. I love colour, and the structure of the face. I want to explore the links between classical portraiture and our modern ‘selves’.

"By entering the Devon Open Studios this year for the first time, I have set myself a very public goal. A goal that is both scary and exciting. It will be a great push for me. It will also create the opportunity to show my work to a greater audience other than my family and friends.”

Caroline Morgan – Exeter 

Caroline graduated with a First Class degree in Illustration in 2014 and is just starting out on her journey as a full-time artist. Her passion is illustrated poetry, but she is interested in all genres of illustration. Being Danish, her work is influenced by her Scandinavian roots which can be seen in her simple illustrations.

“I work mainly in a paper cut collage style, but also enjoy experimenting with other media. As well as developing my hand-cut paper illustrations, I would very much like to work on a book about how it feels to live as a foreigner in another country, a process I started during my degree.”

Belinda Reynell – Mid Devon

Belinda ran her own greeting card business for 14 years, but recently became inspired to start painting again.

“I absolutely fell in love with oil painting and seascapes, and more recently the Devon coast and moors. I am, in particular, becoming more interested in creating more abstract seascapes and landscapes. Ultimately I would love to be an artist full time.

"I plan to change the balance of my life to at least 80% of my working career as an artist. I would love to go on a few inspiring workshops and push myself creatively. I especially love the texture you can create with oils using brushes and palette knives and getting the atmosphere that I have always loved around the coast of Cornwall and Devon.”

Nicola Axe - East

Nicola is a stone carver, living and working in Teigngrace, Devon. She first started carving in 2009 on an adult education course with Maria Moorhouse whilst her children were still young.

“I can’t imagine now a life without being able to carve stone. This ancient natural material inspires and drives me to discover its possibilities. The whole process is challenging and hard work but deeply fulfilling.

Now my broadening subject matter and a new range of work is developing from my growing interest in the styles and subjects of traditional Japanese art. I have started to experiment with this influence on a different variety of stone types such as Serpentine and Opal stone more suited to this art form, as well as developing current themes with this style in mind.”

Devon Open Studios are grateful to sponsor Helpful Holidays which has grown to become one of the UK’s leading holiday home agencies, for their help in this initiative which will support five emerging artists living and working in Devon.