For centuries artists have found inspiration in the Devon landscape. Long before the great J.M.W.Turner began his epic painting tour of the Westcountry, artists had fallen for the beauty and variety of scenery that the county had to offer. From dramatic seascapes and sweeping moorland vistas, to impressive cityscapes and quintessential thatched Devon hamlets, no artist had far to travel in order to find a scene to arrest their interest.

The artists whose work appears in this book are part of this long tradition. Their work has been selected to portray something of the varied range of contemporary work being created in Devon today. Each in their own distinctive way, captures the essence of Devon. The diversity of styles included here is deliberate, as is the variety of the media in which each artist has chosen to work; traditional watercolours and oils vying with acrylics and mixed media works.

The handful of artists whose work is selected are among literally hundreds of present-day painters who are inspired to capture in paint the elusive qualities of light, atmosphere and character that make Devon so special. They have been chosen as they are among the best known in the county and most have their homes and studios there. Information about each artist can be found at the end of this book.

Address books tend to be well used and have a long life. Along with important contact details, they keep track of the user’s friends and acquaintances, tracing their lives over time and from place to place. And, if properly attended to, an address book eventually becomes something of a journal in itself, and an essential part of the household management.

Whether you have buy this book for your own use, or receive it as a gift, we hope this Devon Artists Address Book, with its superb pictorial reminders of Devon, provides years of pleasure.

Imprint: Halswood. ISBN 9781841149868, tabbed hardback, 214x230mm, 112 pages. Published October 2009.