Major Exhibition honours Dartmoor’s mythic arts community

No official register exists of the extraordinary mythic arts community on Dartmoor, and yet this vibrant network of artists, writers, musicians, and craftspeople attracts attention from around the world. All are inspired by the ancient landscape of the moor, its folklore, legends and wild beauty. These practitioners intertwine their creative practice with a reverence for both the deepest layers of the human imagination and ecological awareness.

The current exhibition at Green Hill Arts in Mortonhampstead shines a light on this remarkable group of artists whose work draws on the numinous within the Dartmoor landscape. Dartmoor, with its misty tors, ancient stone circles, and rich legends, is itself a source of myth and mystery, and the isolation of the moor offers a sanctuary for deeply contemplative, nature-rooted creativity.

The exhibition - ‘Widdershins’ - takes its name from the archaic word for counter-clockwise. It’s a felicitous choice of title: the word widdershins conveys a wider meaning than mere ‘anti-clockwise’ - it evokes a sense of the otherworldly, of fairytales and magic. In folkloric belief, you risk tumbling into the world of Faerie if you dare to dance around a church widdershins. I love this enchanting example of the word taken from Robert Louis Stevenson’s evocative fable ‘The Song of the Morrow’: “…and the clouds raced in the sky, and the gulls flew widdershins. And when they came to that part of the beach where strange things had been done in the ancient ages, lo, there was the crone, and she was dancing widdershins.”

This is the third 'Widdershins' exhibition at Green Hill, and it's attracting interest from far and wide, bringing many visitors to Dartmoor. It features work by renowned artists such as Alan Lee, who won an Oscar for his breathtaking concept art for the ‘Lord of the Rings’ film trilogy; Brian Froud, conceptual designer of iconic 1980s films ‘The Dark Crystal’ and ‘Labyrinth’; and Wendy Froud, the sculptress best known for fabricating the Yoda of ‘Star Wars’ fame.

Many of these artists are my closest and dearest friends, and I can vouch that they are all gentle, thoughtful, souls whose humility belies the profound impact of their work. Their art raises awareness of the richness of the traditional myths and folklore heritage of our British Isles and honours the concept of the ‘genius loci’, or the spirits of a place. Such things root us, weave us together, and support a sense of belonging in these fragmented times. They are not to be underestimated.

The Widdershins exhibition puts Dartmoor mythic arts on the cultural map, presenting art which stimulates the rewilding of the human imagination and awakens ecological reference. Recommended.

Full List of Participating Artists

Danielle Barlow

Danielle’s art explores the deep connection, both physical and spiritual, between people and the land they inhabit. She says: “My work draws heavily on folklore and mythology, and my own magical practice…in all its threads, it is at its heart a prayer to the numinous world around us.”

Angharad Barlow

Danielle’s sister Angharad is a big-hearted woman whose work fosters creative exploration, collaborative art-making, and meaningful dialogue centred around themes of community, healing, and the interconnectedness of all living beings.

Hazel Brown

A mother, grandmother, and multiple great-grandmother, Hazel creates exquisite miniatures: diminutive handwritten books and other tiny treasures as well as detailed illustrations.

Jim Crawley and Natalie Simpson

Jim and Nat, partners in both life and work, sculpt earthy trolls, pixies and other creatures whom they call the ‘Elvenwild’, creatures as far removed from Disney as it’s possible to be. The Elvenwild give the impression that they’ve sprung from the very soil and moss of the moor itself.

Diane Coutes and Andrew Sinclaire

Andrew is one of the world’s leading realist figurative sculptors, creating truly astonishing work with life-like vigour and power. He and his partner, fellow sculptor Diane also run Devon's highly regarded Sculpture School just north of Dartmoor.

Wendy and Brian Froud

Brian Froud is lauded worldwide as one of the greatest artists depicting the world of faerie. He was the conceptual designer of the iconic 1980s films ‘The Dark Crystal’ and ‘Labyrinth’. His wife Wendy collaborated with him on these films, and is best known for fabricating the iconic figure of Yoda from ‘Star Wars’. She describes herself as ‘Yoda’s mummy’!

Toby Froud

Toby is Brian and Wendy’s son. At age one, he was the baby in the film ‘Labyrinth’ stolen by the Goblin King (David Bowie), one of the most famous babies in 1980s cinema! Now in his early 40s, he has emerged as a successful sculptor in his own right, working with directors like triple Oscar-winning Guillermo del Toro.

Armorel Hamilton

Armorel creates whimsical sculptures called ‘Faybles’ using polymer clay faux furs, and recycled materials. She says: “I was born in 1980, so films such as ‘Labyrinth’, ‘Dark Crystal’, ‘The Never Ending Story’ and ‘Legend’ all illuminated my childhood. That magic has only grown and blossomed with time. I’ve always explored myths, legends, folklore and faerie tales.”

Marja Lee Krujit

The late Marja Lee Krujit was a Dutch artist who married Alan Lee and settled in Chagford. Originally a highly skilled fashion illustrator, her work evolved throughout her life. Her final works were exquisitely executed visionary watercolours depicting otherworldly beings, plants, landscapes and symbols. Marja was deeply loved in her community, an incredibly stylish beautiful woman, as well as the kindest and gentlest of souls who cherished nature and her Chagford garden.

Alan Lee

Illustrator and Oscar-winning film conceptual designer, Alan Lee is one of the most-loved artists in the world within his field. From his Dartmoor-based studio, he has illustrated dozens of acclaimed books with an especial focus on the the works of Tolkien. Other films he’s worked on include ‘Legend’, ‘Erik the Viking’, ‘King Kong’ and the television miniseries, ‘Merlin’.

Pauline Lee

Alan Lee's sister Pauline works from a studio near Poundsgate creating sculptural ceramics and paintings. She says: The influences that are expressed through my ceramics and painting were there since early years, discovering and observing the countryside and natural world, with storybooks that haunted and fired my imagination.”

Virginia Lee

Virginia - the daughter of Alan Lee and Marja Lee Krujit - has developed her own unique individuality. Her work conveys an otherworldly beauty, depicting landscapes, animals and trees with astonishing imagination, and occasional flashes of down-to-earth humour. As well as illustrating multiple gorgeous children’s books, she also worked as a sculptress on the Lord of the Rings films.

Claire Shauna Saunders

Photographer Claire Shauna Saunders lives in a fairytale cottage overlooking a churchyard. Her fine landscape photography expresses the mythic quality of Dartmoor whilst her recent book, ‘Capturing Chagford: Portraits of a Dartmoor Parish’ powerfully encapsulates the distinctive spirit of the small town.

Rima Staines

Rima’s unforgettable images straddle myth and landscape with influences of folk art and haunting undertones of strangeness. She says: “My belief in the power of art to change things runs deep, and thus my work is very much simultaneously alchemy and activism…myth and story, of course, are vital threads in my work - they speak truth to us in a similar non-linear language to that which imagery speaks, we need them more than we think we do because inside them are old maps back home.”

Terri Windling

American-born Terri now lives in Chagford. In addition to her hypnotic work as a mythic artist, she is a deeply thoughtful writer who has won ten World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and the Bram Stoker Award. Her work ranges from the fictional to the academic, but all rooted in the magical and the fantastic.

David Wyatt 

David is best known for his book illustrations, having worked with authors of the calibre of authors Philip Pullman, Diana Wynne Jones, and Terry Pratchett. His detailed and colourful work is full of movement and dynamic perspectives.

'Widdershins III' runs until Saturday, August 30th.

Entry is free. Green Hill Arts Gallery is open 10.00am - 4.00pm daily, from Wednesday to Saturday. The Gallery is situated at the top of Fore Street, Moretonhampstead, close to the Parish Church. Parking is in the Court Street and Station Road car parks.