A variety of talent will be on show this month at the Lifeboat Art Studio in Porthleven as nine members of the Ashton Arts Group present a new exhibition entitled Inspired by Cornwall.

The group, who all live in and around Ashton, near Porthleven, will be putting their work on show at the gallery from May 16 to 22.

Paintings, ceramics printmaking, textiles and woodcraft will all be represented by the artists.

The group’s chairman is Tony Shorthouse, a landscape artist and portrait painter who works and teaches from his home at Tresowes Green, Digby Atkinson worked as an art director with Charles Saatchi before moving to his home near Breage, and expresses himself through drawing, painting, three-dimensional work and printmaking.

Tom Brooke from Rinsey, sculpts in wood and stone, and his subjects are usually human or animal, capturing grace and movement. Also from Rinsey is Ingrid Sofrin who specialises in seascapes and also paints still life studies of domestic scenes.

Kevin Harris, from Praa Sands, is a furniture maker and woodworker producing bowls, boxes and caskets.

Nic Harrison, from Penhale Jakes in Ashton, trained at The Leach Pottery in St Ives in the late seventies, and his bowls, jug and plates have become highly collectable. His wife Jackie weaves the rugged nature of the Cornish landscape into her wall-hangings, rugs, cushions and tapestries.

The paintings of Ashton-based Rachel Jeffery are inspired by waves, rock pools and lush|vegetation.

New to the group is David Stamp, from Praa Sands, who works in a variety of media and explores abstract as well as traditional styles of painting.

The group held their first exhibition last summer at the Lifeboat Studio, and are looking forward to returning to the venue.