Anna Fitzgerald scoops Charles Stanley Award

Anna Fitzgerald has carried off one of the main prizes at Topsham Art Group’s 50th Anniversary Exhibition with her picture “Heading Home’.

Emma Matthews of Exeter based wealth managers Charles Stanley & Co said that it was very difficult to choose who should receive the Charles Stanley award, which the firm had sponsored. Anna's piece stood out due to its imaginative use of new materials and novel layering techniques, which include gold leaf and resin.

Anna, who moved to Exmouth only a year ago has already shown that she can make a big impression by creating the highly successful ‘Exmouth Art Trail’ which attracted over a thousand participants this summer. It will become part of the Exmouth Festival next year.

Her art training began at Canterbury School of Art but her career has been in teaching and mental health support. She returned to art four years ago and has been experimenting with new materials and techniques, creating some impressively complex, multi-layered and richly coloured designs which have caught the eye of many visitors to the Topsham show, including Emma Matthews of Charles Stanley’s Exeter Office, who has a keen eye for art. The award includes a good supply of new art materials.

Anna’s work will be on display during Devon Open Studios in September, but can be seen at Seadog Art at 3 Gussiford Lane on weekdays from 12-6:30pm.