A SANCTUARY for wildlife and people near St Austell is collaborating with seven Cornwall-based female artists to support community connection to nature.

The artists, Sharon Bruster, Josie Purcell, Tamsin Dearing, Roberta Hopkins, Belinda Latimer, Fran Marks and Christina Milward, are working at Lanjeth Nursery and Water Gardens until Sunday, April 19, for an art in nature residency.

Sharon said: “As artists whose work is informed by our rural and coastal surroundings, we want to share our passion in a way that helps others deepen their connection to the natural world.

“The idea for the residency grew from a conversation Tamsin and I had while walking the site, as the tranquil maze of paths, woodlands and wetlands at Lanjeth cannot fail to restore a sense of wellbeing, often much needed in everyday life.

“Our practices range from representational to abstract drawing and painting, printmaking, eco-photography, metalwork and textile art, so there’s a diverse mix of nature-inspired creativity for people to see and join in with.”

Visitors have been encouraged to help create a community artwork and take part in workshops. An exhibition of work produced during the residency will be held on April 18 and 19.

Sharon works with different media and creative practices, taking an exploratory and developmental approach to making art, while Tamsin specialises in drawing realistic portraits of people, pets and wildlife.

Josie’s eco-conscious photographic practice centres on water-based environments, Belinda is developing new work for her Seafolk jewellery collection and Roberta is a contemporary mixed media artist, drawing inspiration from the rugged coastal landscape near her home.

Fran works in a variety of mediums to create vibrant works as an emotional response to the light and colours of land, sea and sky, and Christina, based in St Austell’s Market House, has a fascination with wildlife and the play of light in the landscape.