SIX young Devon artists, including a nine-year-old from Tiverton and two 12-year-olds from Pilton Community College in Barnstaple, have successfully demonstrated their creativity and eye for composition in this year’s Devon CPRE Best Young Landscape Artist Competition.

The judges, Devon CPRE’s Director Penny Mills and Exeter-based professional landscape painter Kath Hadden, agreed that the six pictures depicting a variety of Devon landscapes really stood out from the other submissions.

Each one tells a different story that is personal to the artist, with one highlighting the current threats to the countryside and farming, and another described by Kath as reminiscent of celebrated British contemporary artist Kurt Jackson in the way the young painter had captured the light on the sea.

In the 7 - 11 year age group, the winner was 9-year-old Arabella Durman from Tiverton with an original perspective of the countryside, seen between a horse’s ears.

The two Runners up in this category were 7-year-old Contance Passera from Beaworthy with her drawing of Brentor on Dartmoor, “her all-time favourite place in the world” and 10-year-old Josiah Wort from Bideford who drew a striking oil pastel of another Dartmoor scene, entitled Wild Camp on Dartmoor - Shelstone Tor.

The winner in the 12 - 17 age group was 12-year-old Poppy Fellows who attends Pilton Community College. Her painting of the coast at Hartland showed great use of colour.

The runners up in this category were 17-year-old Jessica Horton from Roborough, Plymouth whose pen and ink drawing of Firestone Bay in South Devon was very accomplished and 12-year-old Seth Davies, another Pilton pupil, with his watercolour of the North Devon Coast Path featuring a cheeky fox.

The winners will receive £100 each and the runners up £25 each. Their work is available to view until Saturday, November 8 at the Museum of Dartmoor Life in Okehampton.

Penny Mills said: “It’s always a delight to open my post in the run-up to the competition deadline.

“Every time we hold this competition, the works submitted are wonderfully varied, both in the choice of landscapes and the media used to depict them.

“Kath and I were in complete agreement this year over the work that really stood out and resonated with us, so there was no need for our usual lengthy discussions about the winners. Congratulations to them all.”

Kath Hadden wrote a comment for each of the budding artists with her feedback on their work. Kath said: “All three of the 7-11 Category had a strong sense of place and very personal connections to the landscape.”

Kath wrote: “Many congratulations, Arabella. I loved your drawing - I kept going back to look at it and finding more and more to see. It’s a clever idea to show what you can see between the horse’s ears. You have also created an important narrative, telling the story of British farming.”

“Congratulations, Constance, on a beautiful drawing of Brentor - a lovely composition. I love the church on the hill and the animals.”

“Josiah’s oil pastel piece takes me straight to Dartmoor. I love the way he has drawn the heavy rocks of Shelstone Tor, and the small orange tent tucked in the shelter of the Tor.”

“Poppy’s landscape painting of Hartland in North Devon immediately struck me. An exceptional piece of work showing great use of colour. I particularly love the way Poppy has captured the light on the water, reminiscent of Kurt Jackson. Congratulations, Poppy.”

“Jessica’s pen and watercolour of Firestone Bay captures the area beautifully. Lovely perspective and I particularly love the pebbles in the foreground."

“Seth’s watercolour of a North Devon Coast Path makes me immediately want to walk through that gate to find out what lies beyond. I love the cheeky fox sitting under the tree, and the contrast between the rugged coastpath and the more managed area within the dry stone wall.”