Tori Elliott

Kingsteignton-based artist Tori Elliott has created a special piece just for the public art wall. Although usually a children's book illustrator, who works to a small scale, she took on the challenge of a massive sheet of 4x8 foot MDF and has created a mural of Torre Abbey and its history and gardens. Lush, vivid and full of typical illustrative detail, it is a true tribute to the Abbey and the beautiful oak tree on the green. Many thanks, Tori!

To see more of her work, visit http://www.torielliott.co.uk/.

Work continues...

On Wednesday and Friday of last week, two groups of young people from the Torbay area came down to the Torre Abbey Green and painted 'their Torbay' onto the public art wall. Accompanied by some amazing youth workers (thanks Alanna, Dave and Gemma!) and full of enthusiasm, they have made this project into something really special.

Some of the pieces have light touch - depictions of football players and of the balloon rising up over the English Riviera. There's a painting of a fisherman catching line-caught bass. There's a piece which appears to be a picture-postcard of the Riviera, but when you look closely into the palm tree, you can see that words like 'teenage pregnancy' and 'stereotypes' are written on the leaves. There's a picture of a human form, and inside of it is music. That's 'their Torbay'.

Extended Cloister on Torre Abbey Green

All this week... workshops with young people from Hele Village and Torquay. Where are the news stories about this?

How can a paper print two weeks worth of negative press, and put out a call for local artists to be utilised and then disrespectfully ignore those same hard-working local artists when they are out doing good work? It's always easier to whinge than it is to walk your talk...

Or praise good work.

I say - well done. Well done to the youth centres, to the mural artists, to all who have been involved from the council, to all who's creative and open minds make public art like this possible. That's the article that should have been written.

What's that Toni Morrison quote?

"If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."
— Toni Morrison

BBC Blast

Mark and Sarah Bell ran a workshop for BBC Blast in Paignton on Saturday. The young people's artwork is already up on the mural! It's not just the speed at which they're working, but also the goodwill and cheerful can-do attitude that they've brought to the work. Many thanks to some talented artists, committed citizens and 'yes' people.

Extended Cloister on Torre Abbey Green