COLOURFUL depictions of the Jurassic Coast are adding some cheer to art lovers' lives.

People are flocking to see Treasure Planet – a Celebration of Life on the Jurassic Coast at the Allsop Gallery in Bridport Arts Centre.

The exhibition, by the South Dorset artist group Artwey, runs for a further week until Saturday, March 21. It's open daily from Tuesdays to Saturdays between 10am and 4pm

Artists hope that this exhibition will offer visitors a vibrant reminder of the beauty in our local landscapes, especially in winter.

In December last year, the group launched an ‘open call’ to its 80 members to create work which has been inspired by the places, people, colours and textures of our Jurassic coastline. This has resulted in a body of work full of love for the Dorset coastline.

The artwork varies from 2D paintings in acrylic, oils, encaustic wax and watercolour, to prints and drawings, textile art, mixed-media, ceramics, glass, jewellery, stone and wood.

There are some enticing scenes of the popular seaside resort West Bay, views of Portland on a sunny day and a cheery street scene in Weymouth town centre.

Lyn Kirkland, Artwey director and project manager for the exhibition, said: “The opportunity to exhibit in such a prestigious gallery space has caught the imagination of our members. We have seen submissions in all mediums and styles, and the level has been very high, making the job of the selection jury very difficult indeed.”

Among the artwork is Weymouth artist Olivia Nurrish's bright paintings of West Bay. Olivia often incorporates commissioning family members amongst her familiar scenes. She said: "I love to use bright saturated colour and detail to bring a sense of joy and interest to my paintings and get great satisfaction from customers' excited reactions’. Olivia is a founding director of Artwey and has helped organise most of their activities in the past 11 years from pop up shows, permanent exhibition venues, Olympic Cultural Project 2012, biennial Open Studios and this current show and will be planning Open For Art 2021 through South Dorset soon.

Portland artist Karen Toleman is a self-taught artist who has always loved drawing, capturing the detail of animals and nature but over recent years oils have become her preferred medium, especially for sea and landscapes.

She said: "I enjoy glazing layer upon layer in order to capture the effects of light, be they subtle or dramatic. A more direct approach is required when working en plein air, and I often employ the use of pen, ink and watercolour when out and about with the sketchbook."

All the work on show will be for sale, and there will also be a complementary range of greetings cards, prints and books available to purchase.

Artist Ian Hedley, who now resides on the coast in Weymouth, has lived and worked in Dorset all his life. Although not formally trained in fine art, he shows a natural skill and talent in capturing so much of the incredibly beautiful countryside that we’re so lucky to be surrounded by in Dorset. He is much influenced by this stunning landscape and aims to capture iconic landmarks from fresh perspectives in a monochrome approach using graphite pencil, occasionally introducing ink, charcoal and watercolour. In addition to landscapes Ian has a growing reputation as a portrait artist (both people and pets). He said: "I want to portray the essence of a moment, thought or feeling in a person’s life."

Artwey CIC is a South Dorset community Arts group supporting over 80 local artists with opportunities to exhibit, network and develop their creativity. In 2009 Artwey created their biennial open studio trail which in 2017 rebranded as Open For Art, extended its reach from Abbotsbury to Tincleton, invited non-members and grew to 70+venues, 200+artists and 10,000s of visitors in 2019. See artwey.co.uk for more information.

*Treasure Planet, Allsop Gallery, Bridport Arts Centre, open from Tuesdays to Saturdays between 10am and 4pm until March 21. This exhibition will be stewarded by the artists, so visitors are encouraged to take the opportunity to have a chat about the work.