Get Inspired at 7 Devon Open Studios in Plymouth
Held in a different location across Devon every year, the annual Devon Open Studios exhibition runs between 6th and 28th September 2024 putting us in touch with people of breathtaking talent, making them part of a community with whom they can share their work and what inspires them.
Open Studios are all free to attend, and visitors are encouraged to support local artists and makers by buying their work – anything from a large sculpture to a small greetings card. Artists range from new talent to experienced professionals, all keen to share their inspiration and creativity with visitors.
So be a part of this co-operative collaboration by connecting with some of Plymouth’s artists to discover their work and practices. Before you visit these studios, check with https://devonartistnetwork.co.uk/devon-open-studios-2024/ on their specific open days.
Leadworks is an innovative social enterprise that offers grassroots community organisations and artists a space to work, create, and connect. Their Open Studios collaboration has a fusion of art and music predominantly from a Heavy Metal and punk perspective - and there are a big collection of inspiring artists to see!
The exhibitors at this event include Christophe Szpajdel, a graphic designer, illustrator, artist and calligraphist currently living in Exeter, Devon. Szpajdel is best known as Lord Of The Logos, having designed well over 10,000 logos. His first was in 1990 for the Finnish band Disgrace, while his most famous is probably the one done for the Norwegian Black Metal band Emperor. Since then, although largely known for his Metal logos, he has branched out into other genres, developing a logo for Rihanna in 2016.
Another exhibitor is Gosia Bilicka, a graduate of the ZPAF Photography School and a member of the Association of Polish Art Photographers School and the Gdańsk Photographic Society. Gosia is an award-winning photographer par excellence whose photograph in the final exhibition of the international Jazz World Photo competition (Czech Republic) and two post-competition exhibitions at the Centre for Contemporary Art in Toruń, resulted in placing her photo on the cover of the music magazine Heavy Metal Pages.
Charlotte from Dream Bleed Arts is an Oil Painter of the Dark Arts. A Toronto-based artist and partner of Sam Astaroth says that her “paintings incorporate dark surrealism, horror, macabre, and sometimes occult themes. There’s also a balance to this imagery. Bright colours or hopeful messages of strength and transformation. To communicate there is darkness in beauty and beauty in darkness. I’m heavily influenced by H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński, as well as the Extreme Metal music scene.”
Another guest exhibitor is Remy from DS Graphics. Hailing from the heart of the Midwestern United States, Remy is an artist whose work delves into the realms of horror and the macabre. His unique and clean style is heavily inspired by old comic book covers and the dark themes of Heavy Metal music. Metal is a genre he has been passionate about since the age of twelve, inspiring him to eventually try his hand at Metal logos.
Exhibitor Sam Goodwin is quite inspired by DIY punk aesthetics and ethos and has a collection of very striking black and white etched works based on the technique of Linocut, first developed in the mid-1800’s.
Another fairly local artist is Helen Ely, a Cornish based artist who creates imaginary scenes in oils. She takes inspiration from nature.
Devon-based Amber is known in the art world as Bluebird. Her work reflects a deep connection to nature and the universe. Each piece evolves organically, revealing deeper meanings over time, even to the artist herself. Bluebird’s work invites viewers to connect personally, trusting their intuition to find meanings within each piece.
Other DOS members exhibiting will be May Allerfeldt, who has trees and a naturalist approach, artist Terry Maughanm, as well as enlightened calligrapher Ruth Sutherland. Plymouth-based artist Jo Jo James brings you a touch of figurative and narrative art.
Finally, the exhibition includes Adrian Rodriguez who has worked on collaborations with Devon Open Studios and Christophe Szpajdel for some years and is also the singer and guitarist in the Spanish rock band from the city of Mar del Plata called Mar (meaning sea in Spanish).
Flameworks
Flameworks is thrilled to be taking part in Devon Open Studios 2024! From 7-22 September on the Saturdays and Sundays only they are opening their doors to share the work of incredible makers, including courses, talks and more!
Real Art Make Print (RAMP)
Real Art Make Print (RAMP) welcome you explore Ocean Studios, inviting you behind the scenes in their artist and maker studios, specialist print facilities and where you'll get an insight into how RAMP support local practitioners on their creative journey - explore studios, exhibits and the creative programme.
By Charles Curiously Created Furniture
Charles Williams is an unconventional force of nature, a gifted furniture maker and master craftsman, working from a fully equipped workshop in a converted helicopter hangar. A specialist in wood, resin, and metal, he crafts timeless pieces infused with unique stories. With a fastidious approach to precision, Charles’s unrivalled attention to detail means nothing leaves his workshop until it is flawless.
His process – a three-way connection between client, materials, and maker – draws clients into the creative journey. From selecting the perfect piece of wood, right through to choosing resin colours and styles, By Charles furniture owners develop a personal bond with their piece that becomes an integral part of its story. From rivers and forests to the wonders of the night sky, Charles draws inspiration from nature and infuses each piece with his interpretation of the awe-inspiring patterns that can be found hidden in our world. This respect for his environment is evident in Charles’s uncompromising sustainable practices – like solar kiln drying and responsible wood sourcing.
Georgia is a Ceramic Designer and Maker and graduate from Plymouth University. She designs and makes functional tableware, hand thrown on the potter’s wheel in her garden studio. Using stoneware clay finished with a tin white glaze and stains, she creates tactile, humble and timeless products to enhance daily life rituals. Passionate about passing on pottery craftmanship, Georgia also teaches pottery throwing lessons, either a one off introduction to throwing a pot or a series of lessons to take you through the entire making process.
Fernando Asian
Fernando Asian is a Spanish artist and sculptor. Born in Madrid in 1951 he worked in Barcelona and London before establishing his studio in Venezuela where he became well known for his large surrealist paintings of vivid intensity and colour.
In 2019, due to political unrest, he had to flee his adopted country, leaving behind all his brushes and artist’s materials, and escaping only with a few rolled up canvases and drawings. Newly settled in Devon, Asian has started over and has embraced his new surroundings in the South West.
Joanna is a Reduction Lino Print Artist inspired by the beauty of Dartmoor and the South Devon Coast. She is self-taught having studied Art and Art History at Oxford Polytechnic and taught Creative Textiles in Secondary schools. The type of prints she creates are Reduction Lino prints which means the whole print comes from one block, therefore limiting the number of prints that can be produced. Each print is one of a very limited edition and, as they are hand printed, they all have slight differences that make them unique.