VISIT Laura Wall’s Gallery in Teignmouth and you will see her latest labour of love (above) taking shape before your eyes.

The Teignmouth based artist has produced this incredibly detailed story of the town and its beautiful beach that is just brimming with ideas and stories of the people who live here and visit.

Laura says: ‘This is my first project of the year, it is a large painting based on the back beach in Teignmouth.

‘The actual image size is 76cm x 35cm (it will be 103cm x 65cm overall size once framed). So far it has taken me most of January to get the line work down!

‘I think it is has taken a particularly long time because I have also been working on other projects too.

‘It is a really intricate picture, I really want to capture the spirit and buzz of the back beach in summertime, and to make the houses and landscape as accurate as possible so as to do the area and buildings justice, but also making sure artistically the composition is balanced and beautiful.

‘I do this by taking lots of photos and sketches in situ – not just of the overall composition but of little details along the beach too such as lobster pots, boats and colours of houses etc to remind me of these details when I am back in the studio. In the summer I love to sit on the beach and soak in all the life that is going on and this then pours into the artworks.

‘It’s the little details that I think are really important, like the washing on the line on the beach, ladies in dry robes after a swim in the sea, the seal bobbling by the fisherman waiting for something to drop off the boat.

‘Many people come into my gallery and tell me their stories and memories and I want this picture to capture some of those for them.

‘Holidaymakers tell me how they sit in Salty Cottage with a gin (the house with a boat door!), so in the window you will see a couple having a toast, the locals walk their dogs and chat to house owners on their doorsteps and fishermen work the Quayside.

‘Local boats and ships are moored up including the Girl Rona and the Vagabond Des Mer and the Harbour Master potters about.

‘Now the line work is finally finished I am now painting it with Winsor and Newton professional Watercolours, the gallery is open Tuesday to Saturdays 10am to 4pm and the painting will always be available to view on a Friday and Saturday for customers to see. ‘

Laura’s gallery is situated in Teignmouth’s Arts Quarter on Northumberland Place.