Exmouth artist Ray Balkwill to open studio for Devon event

Running from September 6-21, more than 400 artists will take part welcoming visitors into 170 studios and venues across the county.

Among the contributing painters is Exmouth artist Ray Balkwill, who will open his Studio Gallery for three days at the start of the event.

Balkwill, who has long been associated with the Exe Estuary, has spent more than four decades recording the landscape in watercolour, pastels, oils and mixed media.

His recent work has taken a new direction, with a focus on assemblages and ceramics that continue to reflect his connection with the estuary.

For his assemblages, Balkwill uses discarded material found along the shoreline, including weathered fragments of boats shaped by the tides and weather. He reworks these pieces into new forms that echo the landscapes he has painted throughout his career.

Balkwill has also experimented with other materials and began working with clay to create textures, which he then colours with oxides and glazes.  

Running from September 6-8, his ‘Connections’ exhibition will feature paintings, assemblages and ceramics. 

The public can visit from 10am to 5pm each day at The Studio Gallery, Thistledown, Marley Road, Exmouth (EX8 4PP).

More details about artists and venues across the county can be found through the Devon Open Studios programme.