Generous artists have responded to an appeal for pictures to add colour and interest to a residential home in Tavistock.

The response has overwhelmed the home which is considering holding an exhibition of West Devon and Tamar Valley artists in return.

The emphasis was on giving a showcase to local artists and at the same time update existing artwork to give residents something new to admire.

The first artist was Chris Stone, from the Drawn to the Valley group of artists. He donated his picture of the Lido in Plymouth which will take pride of place on one of the lengthy corridors and staircases in Drake Lodge, on Plymouth Road.

Drawn to the Valley was formed by artists themselves in 2004, mainly as a support network but also to promote the Tamar Valley area, bringing its natural beauty to life through art.

Chris's website is www.chrisstoneartist.co.uk and he also has his work on the Drawn to the Valley website which is https://drawntothevalley.com/artists/chris-stone/.

Salema Dennis, house manager, said: “Drake Lodge is a registered charity providing residential help for the elderly seeking companionship with the emphasis on independence.

“We haven't had the resources to update some of the rather tired pictures on our walls and so some wonderful artists from Drawn to the Valley stepped in and decided to donate pieces of their own artwork to make our walls come alive again.

“Our first painting arrived from Chris Stone who donated a picture of the Lido in Plymouth.”

Drawn to the Valley was set up in 2004 mainly as a support network for artists and to promote the Tamar Valley area by bringing it to life through art.

The next donation came from watercolorist Karen Austin, of Bickleigh, who specialises in botanical studies.

She donated 14 of her originals and high quality prints of flowers (sunflowers, bluebells, hellebore and roses) and wildlife (bees, vole and wren) all in her garden and local hedgerows.

Salema said: “I’m overwhelmed by Karen’s generous offer. We will certainly make a home on our lengthy walls for these. They’re such vibrant and colourful works of flowers. Some of our residents will appreciate them for the link with gardening, which most cannot enjoy any more.”

Karen said: “This appeal came at the right time for me. I have a small studio at home which has lots of my works stacked up and no one can see them, which is a shame.

“I’m really pleased to help Drake Lodge because it’s a charity and I think the older residents will appreciate the subject matter more than others. They might have been into gardening in their lives, but can’t any more and don’t have gardens of their own. So, I love the idea of the residents getting something out of seeing my pictures.”

Karen leads workshops at the Garden House, Yelverton, which arefor free for charities such as Shekinah, a local charity which supports people to build positive futures by finding accommodation and providing training and and job hunting support.