Three Decades of Art & Craft inspired by the River Dart
When Paul & Tina Riley first set eyes on Coombe Farm, it was a working farm providing a home for 1,500 pigs. A summer haze hung over the secluded Devon valley & together they had a dream to create a place where holidaymakers in the local area could come and spend time being creative. With three small children and an entrepreneurial spirit they set up the studios, running a variety of painting & craft courses year-round.
With the pigs long gone, there’s still a nod to the farm with wandering chickens and a large vegetable garden. On a beautiful day it’s like walking into a sunny Provencale courtyard with artists painting, making pots and working in the print studio.
Last year the day-to-day running of the business was passed to Paul & Tina’s daughter Lara and her husband Martin whilst Lara’s brother Mark runs the successful Coombe Gallery on Foss Street. A number of local artists now work and teach at Coombe, including Dartmouth’s Kate Marshall, James Stewart as well as the founder and lead artist Paul Riley. Many other teachers come from further afield including Gerry Dudgeon, Laurel Keeley Jill Fanshawe Kato and Bettina Schroder. The gallery at Coombe shows the work of all the tutors whilst Coombe Gallery Dartmouth has a wider reach, showing a range of work from established & emerging artists from across the UK.
The local area provides direct inspiration for a number of courses at Coombe, particularly the majestic River Dart. The wonderful Stream to Sea-waterscapes by the Dart painting course (15-19th July) which is led by Paul, is always popular. Every day, participants paint at different locations by the water, starting with the small stream that runs through Coombe Farm and gradually making their way, via Dittisham, to Bayards Cove in Dartmouth and then out to Blackpool Sands on the coast. If the weather is poor, students dash out with raincoats and umbrellas to take sketches or photos, then back to the well-equipped studios at Coombe to work on the paintings.
Kate Marshall began teaching at Coombe in 2012 and leads the creative Printmaking from the River course. Kate will talk about finding inspiration and how we can make images from the world around us. Her course explores a range of printmaking techniques and takes inspiration from the Dart and its banks during foraging walks. Her course explores a range of printmaking techniques including Drypoint on plastic, Linocut, Chine Colle, and Collographs.
Visitors to the Gallery & Studios are welcomed year round. Thursdays & Fridays are the best days to visit, when the gallery is open from 10am-5pm. Coombe is located just outside Dittisham, approx 20 minutes from Dartmouth by car.
For more information contact 01803 722352 www.coombefarmstudios.com
First Published July 2013 By The Dart