THE mayors of Teignmouth and Dawlish welcomed artists from the two resorts who are taking part in the Devon Open Studios events.

Hundreds of studios across the county are staging free exhibitions, showing the cultural wealth of the county and giving an intimate view into the creative process.

There is a rich seam of art behind the studio doors, from paintings, prints, furniture, sculpture and photography to handmade jewellery, cutting-edge fashion, crafted ceramics and one-of-a-kind accessories. People of every age can enjoy these self guided tours with the flexibility of visiting many artists for just a couple of hours or a day of meandering.

This year, a bumper crop of 265 artists are opening their doors to the public until September 24, and exhibiting their work in more than 160 locations across Devon. The popularity of the event has soared with more than 37,000 visitors in 2016 and over £233,500 spent in reported sales of nearly 6,000 items.

More information  can be found on the www.devonartistnetwork.co.uk. A free guide to the event with colour coded maps and every artist illustrated, is available from tourist information centres, libraries, hotels and galleries.