Eighty-nine-year-old Okehampton artist Alec Davey is staging a bank holiday weekend exhibition and sale of paintings of both his and other local artists’ work at Belstone Village Hall on August 26 and 27 to raise money for the local children’s hospice.

The majority of the artwork will be oil paintings, featuring a variety of pieces based around still life and Dartmoor landscapes and buildings and nature, which are his main inspiration.

On both days, there will also be a raffle with a range of prizes and refreshments, with all proceeds going to Children’s Hospice South West, a service which provides seriously ill children and their families with end-of-life care.

Alec, who once owned the first pet shop in Okehampton, said it was one of several charities for which he frequently raises money and he hopes to raise as much as he can and see a strong turnout of people across the weekend. Following the event, he will present a cheque to a representative of the charity.

Alec is a proud member of a Belstone Art Group, which meets at the village hall on Tuesdays from 9.30am to 12.30pm and other members’ work will be on display in the exhibition.

He has also run similar exhibitions in previous years, again to raise money for the hospice. In October and November 2021, he ran a week-long exhbition from his home, filling a studio with his own paintings which were up for sale. He also hosted a raffle with prizes ranging from paintings to bottles of wine.

He has also painted flowers, pets and other animals. Entry to the exhibition is free and all are welcome.