DOZENS of talented artists have come out of hiding to proudly display their work in the second Westcliff Art Trail.

Organisers of the 2009 event have been looking for little-known local artists, who may have been too shy to exhibit outside their living rooms before or the classrooms where they teach.

Their work will be displayed at shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, florists, hairdressers and even letting agents across Westcliff, alongside exhibits by more established local artists – many of whom run and exhibit at a co-operative art gallery called Studio Eleven, in Station Road, Westcliff.

One member of the co-operative, Ann Robson, 53, helped organise the Westcliff Art Trail, which runs until Saturday.

She said: “Our aim has been to draw artists out of the community, who maybe wouldn’t have a chance otherwise to put their work on show.

“We set out to find a really wide range of types of businesses where we can exhibit our work, including the wonderful Havens department store, which has been really supportive.

“Most of the venues are in Hamlet Court Road, but they’re also situated in many of the surrounding streets. One of the lovely things is they all agreed to exhibit our work without asking for any kind of payment, which I think makes it even more of a community event.

“Westcliff is sandwiched between Leigh and Southend, and it sometimes gets overlooked.

“You can see this in Hamlet Court Road, which is a lovely shopping street and used to be a real hive of activity, but a lot of the shops are failing there now.

“Part of our aim with the art trail is to boost Westcliff’s identity, by showing everyone what a vibrant artistic community we have here.”

The Westcliff Art Trail was only launched last year. Organisers would like it to become an established annual event.

A total of 41 artists are taking part, who work in a range of mediums from oils to water paints, and produce work including sculpture, prints, photography and jewellery.

Ann said: “We are all amateur artists. Our work is really varied and I would like to think there is something for everyone.

“The artists are of all ages and from a variety of backgrounds. One of them, Les Shaw, is exhibiting from his house in Lydford Road, Westcliff, and he is 84.

“Another painter and sculptor Andrew Hall, who was the founder of Studio Eleven, has been an art teacher for years. I’m very proud of all the wonderful art our talented local artists have produced.”

Ann has resurrected her 8ft bluebells sculpture for the trail. The enormous blooms were originally exhibited in Hockley Wood in 2006, but were smashed by vandals.

The work is now on display in the front window of Studio Eleven.

She said: “The bluebells are sprouting out of a dolls’ house, and the idea is to signify how nature always wins in the end. You can see it in how weeds grow so quickly all over buildings as soon as they become derelict.”

The trail was founded last year by Ann and fellow local artist Emma Mower, 42, from Southend, who specialises in creating artwork from bits of scrap metal.

Ann said: “She sometimes sticks the metal on canvas and paints around it, or she might attach metal to metal. It’s very striking.”

Businesses exhibiting artwork from the trail include Belvoir letting agents, London Road; Avenue Baptist Church, Milton Road; the Beecroft Art Gallery and Studio Eleven and Bojangles, in Station Road; and the Classic Cap Company, Forever Flowers, Clouseau’s Cafe Bar, and Havens department store, all in Hamlet Court Road.

For a list of businesses taking part and a trail map, visit www.westcliffarttrail.co.uk