14th October 2011

BUDLEIGH SALTERTON: 'Animals, birds and insects' - An Autumn exhibition at Otterton Mill

For its autumn exhibition, East Devon’s Otterton Mill Gallery is showcasing a range of South West artists whose art is inspired by the inhabitants of the natural world. The theme makes for an eclectic, striking and fun collection in its portrayal of our hidden animal kingdom.

The first featured artist, Peter Vernon, is exhibiting wooden sculptures of birds. Working entirely with locally sourced British hardwoods, Peter’s sympathy for both his subject matter and the material he works in, is instantly recognizable. Using fluid, smooth lines to capture the birds’ sleek aerodynamics, Peter has a true appreciation of flowing line forms. He also allows the natural grain of the wood to speak through his sculptures; its organic patterns represent the plumage of the birds he carves. The high polish finishes Peter uses, combined with their sleek shapes, makes them irresistibly strokeable! Peter is a very hands-on artist, even in sourcing his timber which usually comes from ecologically managed woodlands, hedging or casualties of storms. Peter is completely self-taught and his work is in constant evolution. He is a member of the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen and regularly exhibits across the South West.

The second artist, Keith Beaney is showcasing exotic insects cut out of maps or “insecticuts” as he calls them. Keith’s imaginary insects are birthed from a single scissor cut from old maps and then mounted in frames with a pin. These echo the Victorian insect specimen display cases, even down to the italicized lettering used to label each bug. Though these creatures are from Keith’s imagination, they have the close detail of an entomological artist - you can see each hair of the insects’ legs! By cutting them out of maps the insects are given an almost marble effect via the contour shading of the maps themselves. Keith’s art invites viewers to shed their ‘creepy crawly’ preconceptions and instead view the insects as worthy of artistic interpretation, and to highlight their significant value to our eco-system. Keith has made sit specific land art for over 25 years, travelling as far as India, Morocco and Italy. He produces his art in his yurt studio based in Budleigh Salterton.

Geraldine Francis, the Mill's third exhibiting artist, is showcasing a series of ceramic animals. Using a variety of different clays and methods depending upon the type and size of each piece, Geraldine imbues each sculpture with an individual character. From cockerels to dogs, pigs to seabirds, her sculptures are not precise anatomical studies of animals, but instead capture the unique personality and often quirky comedy of the animals she obviously knows and loves. After graduating from Exeter with a B.A Hons in Fine Art, Geraldine’s work has been showcased at prestigious garden shows such as Chelsea and Hampton Court. Geraldine finishes the surface of her sculptures with oxide colours and then fires them to stoneware temperatures; vitrifying the clay and making it frost proof. The textures Geraldine create, along with the animal’s enigmatic expressions, makes them seem as though could ruffle their feathers or scamper out of the gallery on the scent of a juicy bone!

The fourth featured artist, Jane Price is exhibiting mixed media observations of insects and photographs of their natural habitats. It was her childhood spent living on a farm in Colyton, which first sparked Jane’s fascination with plants and insects. Experimenting with paper making and casting, as well as textile stitching and printing, Jane powerfully captures each insect's three dimensional manipulation. Her fabric butterflies, again inspired by entomological specimen display cases, are sensitively observed. Jane captures their unique patterning and, through the fabric she uses, one can almost see the power on their wings. Jane has also ventured into the field of photography creating photogram and Lucida-gram shadow-play with light. These images have a haunting feel which references the very first experiments with photography, most notably through the work of Fox Talbot. Jane has been a member of The Devon Guild of Craftsmen for 23 years, as well as the Art Haven and Devon Artist’s group. She exhibits her new body of work each year with Exeter Open Studios, from her home.

The Mill’s fifth and final exhibiting artist, Richard Austin, is showcasing his series of animal photographs printed on canvas. A professional photographer for over 25 years, Richard has won numerous national and regional press awards for his unique style, including the British Press Photographers Association news photographer of the year in 2006. Richard’s photographs ranging from cute piglets wearing wellies, to funny cats lazing in deckchairs and the breathtaking swan mid flight – Richard’s photographs offer something for everyone. In his early career, Richard worked for a number of local, followed by national and international newspapers covering news, sport and features. Richard’s images have appeared on the front pages of every UK national newspaper, but it is his animal and wildlife photography that has led to international acclaim. His photographs of animals resulted in his own award-winning six part TV series called “Richard Austin’s Animal Magic”, as well as five books published under the same title and best-selling calendars. Richard was born and bred, and continues to live in Lyme Regis, which he also captures in its full glory in his published photographic images.

al, South West artists, illustrating the wealth of creative talent on our very doorstep.”

The exhibition runs daily until 7th November. Entry is free. Otterton Mill is situated between Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth on the River Otter. It features a one thousand-year-old working watermill, award-winning café-restaurant and food shop, gallery, craft shop and artist studio, artisan bakery, and music venue. Opening hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm daily (plus from 6:00pm on Thursday for Music & Food nights). Tel: 01395 568521. Web: www.ottertonmill.com.

BUDLEIGH SALTERTON: 'Animals, birds and insects' - An Autumn exhibition at Otterton Mill

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