Following a successful month at Delamore Arts, Artizan Collective are pleased to be bringing their Contemporary British Printmakers Exhibition to their gallery on Lucius Street. From woodcut to etching, lithography to mezzotint, monotyping to mokulito, the variety and diversity of printmaking techniques makes it a near endlessly explorable art form, and one that has defined trends and tastes for centuries. As a practice and craft, it owes much of this evolution to the dialogue that grew between those that pursued its practical use as a tool for reproducing text and image, and the artists that sought to exploit the opportunities this bore for their own creative expression. Today, the spidering and innumerable tributaries that the practice has taken, lend their successes both to the worlds of modern publishing and printing and to one of the most exciting art markets of the 21st century. Contemporary British Printmakers 2025 is our second collaboration with Delamore Arts, bringing together printmakers from across the UK, showcasing original works and exploring a variety of techniques that span over a thousand years of the artform. The exhibition will sit alongside our Spring Sculpture Exhibition featuring works of Abi Higgins, Maria Moorhouse, Rosa Wiland Holmes, Philippa de Burlett and Almut Woolard. The exhibition will launch on 6th June and will then run from 5th June – 6th July Thursday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm

‘Salt and other stories’ (2024/5) is a series of photographs and textile works all developed during or in response to time spent as an artist in residence at Torre Abbey in 2024. I am a visual artist who explores emotions and memories through art making. I use a variety of materials, depending on the subject matter or feeling of a particular project. My artistic practice is shaped by my dual roles of artist and art psychotherapist. Mental health and wellbeing are always at the centre of what I do. I initially studied photography and discovered the therapeutic nature of weaving and working with textiles during my training to become a therapist. I split my time during the week equally between making art and my therapy practice. Making art has been a necessity during the more challenging times in my life. I find the feeling of being completely absorbed in making to be extremely reassuring. I find meaning in creating and sharing with others. Laura Segan (b. 1987, Coventry) is a visual artist, working primarily in textiles and photography. She lives and works in Devon, UK. Her artwork focuses on the connection between mental health and creativity and the exploration of the traditional crafts as modern fine art. Her work carries narratives around connection with nature, exploration of self, mental health and creativity, narratives and life stories. Laura received her BA in Fine Art Photography from Camberwell College of Art and Design in 2003 and more recently, her MA in Art Psychotherapy from the University of South Wales. She splits her time between her art practice and her Art Psychotherapy work, in which she works with children and young people who are struggling with their mental health. She has been creative since her time at Camberwell, while travelling and teaching, but wasn’t able to pursue art as a professional career in earnest until the COVID lockdown of 2020. Since then, she has exhibited in many group exhibitions and had her first solo exhibition in Bath, in March 2022. Since then, Laura has had further solo exhibitions and taken part in group and individual artist residencies. About the Work All of the works were created with a major theme of Torre Abbey’s restoration in mind. I was fascinated to learn about the challenges Torre Abbey faces due to its proximity to the sea and how the salt air erodes the plaster. I was interested in this particularly because salt is often used as a preservative in my artwork whether through fixing photographs as the final step or in the process of creating natural dyes to colour textiles. I wanted to play with the concept of erosion and preservation as a theme. I was drawn to the beautiful gardens at Torre Abbey and the abundance of flowers while I was there on residency. I wanted to capture them with my cameras as each day and each week that I spent there, more of the flowers came and went. Having experienced a significant bereavement recently, grief and loss is ever present in my work. Working with the garden at Torre Abbey was a visual reminder of change, of new life, death and decay. My photographic method is unusual because I don’t use traditional chemicals to develop my photographs. I collect plant matter from the area I am photographing and use this along with some natural ingredients to create a site specific developer. This is a hugely important part of my process as it allows the place I am photographing to make its mark on the images I am producing. No two developing solutions are the same and because of this some of the control of what the images will look like is taken away from me. The process becomes unique to the plants I am photographing and the strength of the developing solution that I have created from them. The textile works that I have created for the exhibition are a response to the drawings, paintings and photographic studies I made of the garden while I was there. I have created these pieces in my studio over the winter and it has brought me great joy to be reminded of the beauty and colour that I experienced in my time in the gardens. The textile pieces are informed by my photographs and yet are boldly different in their aesthetic. They compliment each other, boundless colour and joy so obvious in some of the pieces and calmer more sombre and reflective scenes in others. In this way the art that I have created for this exhibition reflects my initial theme strongly and acknowledges that two things can be true at once. We cannot have life without death, we cannot have beauty without the inevitable knowledge that at some point there will also be decay. In the same way that I use salt in my work to preserve it for the future, it also acts as a destructive force in other ways. Seeing my work altogether reminds me that there is always balance. This programme is a collaboration between Artizan Collective CIC, Torre Abbey, and the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark. Funded by the Torbay Local Heritage Grant Scheme through National Lottery Heritage Fund Investment, with additional support from CAF; a government funding stream, administered by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), to protect treasured heritage assets in England from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and funding from Museum Estate Development Fund using public funds by Arts Council England Torbay Council and the Friends of Torre Abbey (FOTA).

Beneath the familiar landscapes of Torbay’s beaches, cliffs, and historic buildings lies a deeper story—one written in rock, shaped by water, and held in the memories of those who have lived here for centuries. The Geopark Artist Residency Programme has invited four artists to unearth these narratives, responding to Torbay’s UNESCO Global Geopark through a six-month creative journey that has engaged with geologists, conservators, historians, and local communities. Bringing together the works of James Murch, Laura Segan, Gill Melling, and Rachael Allain, this exhibition at Artizan Collective Gallery presents a collection of paintings, prints, photography, textiles, and installation that capture the hidden stories of our coastline, from its ancient geology to the fragile marine environments beneath the waves. Each of the four residency artists has approached Torbay’s landscape from a unique perspective, uncovering connections between nature, time, and human intervention. James Murch – Roots and Relics Through plein air painting, James documents the shifting balance between heritage conservation and natural reclamation, imagining a future where nature consumes Torre Abbey and questioning what happens when we leave historic sites to the elements. Laura Segan – Salt and Other Stories Using analogue photography and textiles, Laura examines the dual role of salt—a force of preservation and destruction—as it shapes the decay of Torre Abbey’s medieval render and influences photographic processes. Gill Melling – Cultural Entanglements in Marine Environments Gill’s mixed-media work explores the delicate ecosystems of Torbay’s waters, using found materials, print, and sculptural forms to question the impact of human activity on the marine environment and highlight our dependence on coastal biodiversity. Rachael Allain – Above and Below the English Riviera Through microscopic imaging and underwater filming, Rachael captures unseen aquatic worlds, from the seagrass meadows of Torbay’s Marine Conservation Zones to the microbial life thriving in sea caves, revealing the Geopark’s hidden ecosystems. This exhibition is more than a reflection of the past—it is an invitation to see the Geopark as a living, evolving landscape. Through the eyes of these artists, we are encouraged to look deeper, to recognise the fragile balance of conservation and change, and to engage with our surroundings in new ways. The Geopark Artist Residency Programme has been made possible by the Torbay Local Heritage Grant Scheme, with funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, Torbay Council, and the Friends of Torre Abbey. The programme is a partnership between Artizan Collective CIC, Torre Abbey, and the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark, designed to bring new artistic perspectives to the stories that define Torbay. This showcase coincides with the Geopark Festival Weekend, celebrating the global significance of our UNESCO designation and its connections to heritage, environment, and culture. We invite you to explore, reflect, and immerse yourself in these creative responses to Torbay’s extraordinary landscapes.

About the Artist Rachael is a multidisciplinary artist and researcher based in the southwest. She has recently completed a PhD in Art & Media entitled: Above and Below the Horizon: A Practice-Led Investigation into Liminal Thresholds of Bodies of Water, at the University of Plymouth. Her work is exhibited locally, nationally and internationally. She works with expanded forms of photography, experimental artists’ moving image and scientific data to reveal invisible realms of our visible world on a macro and micro scales. Her practice is deeply influenced by the diverse aquatic environments of the Southwest region and beyond, and she has participated in art and science expeditionary residencies across the UK, Europe, South Africa, and the High Arctic. Moving above and below the horizon, Rachael explores liminal spaces between land and bodies of water, working with both artistic and scientific data imaging. Her materials often include her own body as a site of sensation and experience, alongside optical devices (within and beyond the electromagnetic field of vision), microscopic imaging, light, projection, sound, ephemera, text, and water. About the Work This multistranded body of work was made in response to the coastal areas above and below the horizon. Following the tidal rhythms and flows of the sea, during the studio residency at Artizan Gallery in September/October 2024, Rachael began to map and explore the beaches of Torbay. She initially walked, paddled, and swam—gathering ideas through a process of deep listening, close observation, and engagement with the meteorological conditions and the rich array of flora and fauna within the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark. She joined geology walks and shore guides to aid her understanding of some of the complex histories and evolutions of deep time that exist across the Bay. Using a variety of artistic tools, including expanded forms of alchemical photography—often achieved without a camera—she explored low-impact photochemistry, digital film, and microscopy to uncover the intricate aspects of the sea and the rich biodiversity both above and below the horizon. Her attention was particularly drawn to the intertidal zone, where she discovered seagrass meadows during low tide, revealed through the ebb and flow of this diverse and dynamic ecosystem. She examined microscopic lacunae, rock pools, cave systems within a grain of sand, and diatoms on seagrass blades. These ecosystems not only sequester carbon and release oxygen into the air we breathe but also provide essential habitats for seahorses and numerous other rare aquatic species. This residency experience provided an extraordinary journey of discovery into the rich, diverse and environmentally significant marine and geological location of the English Riviera Geopark. It also offered an insight into the extensive research being undertaken to conserve, protect, restore and ensure the future of this area of outstanding natural beauty. This programme is a collaboration between Artizan Collective CIC, Torre Abbey, and the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark. Funded by the Torbay Local Heritage Grant Scheme through National Lottery Heritage Fund Investment, with additional support from CAF; a government funding stream, administered by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), to protect treasured heritage assets in England from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and funding from Museum Estate Development Fund using public funds by Arts Council England Torbay Council and the Friends of Torre Abbey (FOTA).

‘Roots and Relics’ (2024/5) is a series of works all developed during or in response to time spent as an artist in residence at Torre Abbey in 2024. James’s work is deeply inspired by the natural world, with a focus on light, colour, and space. His creative process is grounded in open-air painting across the landscapes of Torbay and Devon, responding to the patterns and design of nature through direct observation and thoughtful refinement. He also has an ongoing interest in the expressive potential of colour in both figurative and abstract work. Since moving from Bristol, where he studied, to Paignton in 2009, James has been dedicated to painting directly from life, developing a strong connection to his surroundings and responding instinctively to the world around him. Encouraged by early sketching experiences and the support of his family, James’s practice continues to evolve through experimentation and quiet reflection. After reaching the semi-finals of Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year, James was awarded a residency at Cockington Court, where he was supported by Director Marissa Wakefield in further developing his practice. This led to his first solo show and eventually to securing a permanent studio space, where he continues to work and teach today. During his residency, James had the chance to share his work with visitors, including Charles and Camilla, who viewed his residency work in 2022. Primarily working in oil, James also explores printmaking and sculpture at his studio. His sculptural pieces often feature hand-built natural forms, while his printmaking offers a distilled, expressive response to a variety of subjects. James has exhibited regularly, earning recognition from the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. About the Work This body of work is rooted in James’s time at Torre Abbey, where he explored the building, its grounds, and the surrounding landscape during a month-long residency. The smaller open-air studies provided valuable insights that informed his larger works, blending real and imagined elements. On a larger scale, James envisioned nature dramatically overtaking the abbey, engulfing its structure, and emphasising themes of transformation and resilience. The site supports a unique ecosystem, and James sought to highlight the importance of preserving the architecture while celebrating the natural environment. Without intervention, nature could reclaim the space entirely, blurring the boundaries between the man-made and natural worlds. This programme is a collaboration between Artizan Collective CIC, Torre Abbey, and the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark. Funded by the Torbay Local Heritage Grant Scheme through National Lottery Heritage Fund Investment, with additional support from CAF; a government funding stream, administered by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), to protect treasured heritage assets in England from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and funding from Museum Estate Development Fund using public funds by Arts Council England Torbay Council and the Friends of Torre Abbey (FOTA).

About the Artist Gill Melling is an artist living and working in Devon whose art practice, developed over a 30-year period, spans several genres, from site-specific installation and community facilitation to drawing and sculpture. Gill understands the world as a complex system and reflects this both in the work she creates and the life she leads. She holds a PhD in Fine Art and has also worked as a garden designer and mental health community worker. In 2017, she returned to her art practice with renewed focus and currently maintains a studio in Exeter. Since 2020, Gill has been creating artworks exploring the impact of our industrial cultures of consumption on marine ecology. She uses mixed media including reclaimed materials such as fishing line and plastic; natural objects like fish skeletons; photography and digital production; iconic imagery; and tools of consumption and cultural practices. These elements come together in both 2D and 3D juxtapositions that offer a slanted, entangled, and sometimes humorous perspective. Her intention is to prompt reflection on our interconnectedness with nature and the ways in which environmental damage—shaped by our traditions and practices—ultimately harms ourselves. Gill is therefore careful in her choice of materials, considering the longevity of each work and the environmental footprint it leaves. She has undertaken two residencies in Estonia—one in Tallinn and one on an ex-Soviet airfield in Haapsalu—as well as residencies with people living with dementia, Exeter residents, and college students. These have included site-specific installations, gardens, and collaborative works. Gill has exhibited across the UK and Europe and was recently selected for an Emerging Artist Award, recognising the new direction of her practice, and will exhibit at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery during Devon Open Studios 2025. About the Work Through these works, Gill explores the human impact on—and dependence upon—seagrass and seabed habitats, both locally and globally. Seagrass is estimated to be 35 times more efficient at absorbing carbon than tropical rainforests, yet since the 1930s, 90% of global seagrass beds have been lost. These habitats provide nursery grounds for popular culinary fish such as cod, as well as essential environments for cuttlefish and endangered species like seahorses. This series evolved through local conversations and observations, resulting in mixed media “entanglements” that combine beachcombed objects, organic matter, and human tools used both in the sea and to consume its treasures. The works create space for dialogue, inviting reflection on the fragility of seabed ecosystems while celebrating the strength and significance of seagrass habitats for human wellbeing. The unexpected relationships between the materials—and between the works and their viewers—aim to challenge, provoke thought, and encourage deeper questioning of critical marine issues. The Geopark designation has provided a unique canvas, drawing together a geography that encompasses Marine Conservation Zones that must share space with a fishing heritage that includes one of the largest fisheries in the country, a leisure industry, and local communities, all reliant on these same natural resources. This sits within the wider context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which the world continues to grapple with, and a global ecosystem increasingly reliant on local conservation efforts. This programme is a collaboration between Artizan Collective CIC, Torre Abbey, and the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark. Funded by the Torbay Local Heritage Grant Scheme through National Lottery Heritage Fund Investment, with additional support from CAF; a government funding stream, administered by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), to protect treasured heritage assets in England from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and funding from Museum Estate Development Fund using public funds by Arts Council England Torbay Council and the Friends of Torre Abbey (FOTA). Thanks to the Blue Meadows Project and Ocean Conservation Trust in providing access to their seagrass restoration nursery and seagrass seeds. Thanks also to Neil Garrick-Maidment for his time and permission to use Seahorse Trust images.