An artist who specialises in portrait painting – and set herself the mission of painting every person in her village – will be showcasing her work in an upcoming exhibition.

Californian portrait painter Jeannine Jourdan lives in Belstone near Okehampton, where her husband’s family has links.

She set herself the challenge of painting every person in the village during the covid lockdowns.

She has continued to add to the collection since, painting others in the village, including her chimney sweep.

His portrait is in the exhibition, alongside other portraits and landscapes and still lifes.

The show takes place at the Old Church House in South Tawton, over the early May bank holiday weekend, May 3 to 5.

Jeannine said: “Some of the portraits are local and some of them are not and there are a couple from the show I did last year in Belstone.

“This exhibition includes a few of people from the village and I’ve also included still lifes and landscapes and a couple from Wales and one from Cornwall. It is just a little show to keep myself going. I thought I would take advantage of the bank holiday weekend.

“Old Church House is a very ancient. It is really beautiful. It is a privilege to be showing there.”

She hopes that some of those who she has painted will come along and see their portraits in person.

Among her work is a portrait of three sisters from Belstone. “It is all three of them, they are in their 20s and they are all beautiful and I have had them all in white.

“I have done a quick one of my postie and a quick one of my chimney sweep,” she added. “I am definitely going to include them. I hope they will come by and have a look.”

Jeannine is a graduate of the Californian Institute of the Arts and the Charles Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy where she lived for three years.

See jeanninejourdan.com.