A NEW art studio and gallery which will show the work of local artists, plus room for art classes, talks, and demonstrations, is due to open in Watchet next month.

Called The Art Works, it is the brainchild of local abstract artist Brenda Holmes, who uses the name BrendaJay and plans to open it on Tuesday, June 16, with a launch party three days later.

Brenda, who will also use the studio for her own work, said: “I have been making art of one sort or another all my life - from drawing to photography, painting to crochet, abstracts to representational work.

“I keep coming back to abstracts though, both in my photography, which I still do on occasion, and now in my painting.

“Much of my art is inspired by my natural surroundings, maybe because I spent many years taking photographs in the English countryside and on the coast.

“My work generally takes a long time, a few days to weeks.

“Usually, they involve many layers of paint and various tools for mark making as well as removing some paint with a scalpel.

“There is rarely a specific direction, it is intuitive and evolves as it will.

“I will be using the gallery as a studio space to paint bigger, which I have wanted to do for some time, so people will be able to see how I work.

“In addition, I will be holding and hosting classes, along with demonstrations and talks on anything creative, so not just art, perhaps pottery, willow weaving, and so on.

“It will evolve.

“Watchet already has a buzzing artistic scene with many artists in the locality, so adding The Art Works will only help cement the town as a go-to art destination.”

The launch of the Art Works follows the reopening of the town’s Mayfly Studio by local artist Donna Terry.