Lisa and Eilean return to The Malthouse in April for their third joint exhibition. A painter and a sculptor, their work is complementary in its love of colour, energy and vivacity. Both artists have a strong grounding in the natural world but also explore elements of abstraction.

Lisa’s approach to painting encompasses her sensory and emotional response to landscape, flowers and place. Originally from arid Botswana, in contrast she now works from her home studio in East Devon surrounded by lush countryside and nearby Jurassic coastline. She has always had a deep affinity with nature which serves as a wellspring of inspiration throughout the seasons.

Working mainly in acrylic and water-based materials, she alternates intuitive and analytical approaches until a harmonious composition is resolved. Her latest work is looser, vibrant and more expressive, fuelled by Lisa’s passion for exploration and play.

Eilean is a ceramic sculptor with an interest in the dynamic rhythmic shapes found in the female body and in natural organic forms such as shells and bones. She uses colour and tone to enhance the form, but very recently has been experimenting with colour that is stronger and more expressive, so that the sculpture has a feel of a three-dimensional painting. Working with paperclay, Eilean hand-builds her sculptural forms using coiling and pinching methods with a range of slips, glazes and oxides for the surface. There is a lot of blue!

Eilean is based in her light-filled home studio overlooking Bideford Bay in North Devon where she also spends a lot of time in her maritime garden.

These artworks are filled with esprit; their uplifting, vivacious energy invites viewers to find their own interpretations and make their own meanings within these colourful expressions.

The exhibition runs from Friday 5 April until Thursday 18 April and is open daily from 10:30am until 4:30pm. Entrance is free of charge.