OFFERING unheralded artists a chance to list their works for free on their website are a brother and sister team based in Bude.

In memory of their late father, Alan Emo, Matthew and Laura Emo set up ‘Dad’s Place’, a web-based site that aims to give creative people, who are shy about their work, a platform in which to showcase their talent — alongside gifts designed specifically around the sort of gifts that Laura would have bought for their dad.

Matthew and Laura’s father was a talented photographer but like most talented people was quite shy about his work and did not really understand the potential his talent had.

Alan was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to showcase and sell his work by a local business. As a result his confidence grew and so did his own belief in his work.

Matthew said: “Dad was given an opportunity by local businesses to display and sell his works with great success. As a result his confidence and belief in his work sky rocketed. We have formed a website around his work and we are proud to print his work, and indeed people’s personal images, allowing people to capture memories in print.”

Dad’s Place was set up on November 1, 2015. He had a love for anything with an engine and raced motocross bikes. This, along with the idea of offering gifts specifically aimed at fathers, brought about the concept of Dad’s Place.

Alan used to print for Morwenna Photography, helping to capture the happiest of memories in print because that was what he loved to do — often printing canvases at cost, or for free, just because he enjoyed his work so much.

Whilst continuing with their father’s canvas printing business, Matt and Laura are delighted to continue to reach his high standards and grow the business under the Dad’s Place name in their father’s memory.

The family run business is also supported by Matt Spry, Laura’s husband, as Matthew Emo has cerebral palsy, meaning he finds it difficult to help with the stretching and printing of canvas. He said: “Without his help we wouldn’t be able to continue dad’s work.“

The team has also expressed their gratitude to the local businesses that initially enabled Alan to display his work.

Thanks to the support of local businesses like Morwenna Photography and Seventh Wave Gallery, and the many couples and individuals who have purchased Alan’s work in the past, Alan was able to build his own confidence in his work.

Dad’s Place now want to be able to offer more talented artists the same opportunities Alan was given by providing artists with a similar platform to sell their works.

Matthew added: “Our mantra is ‘Here’s to the memories...’ because after someone passes those memories give you the strength to continue on. Dad used to get immense satisfaction from helping to capture peoples’ memories in print.

“We want to give local unheralded artists the same opportunities dad was given. So we offer unknown artists a free listing on our website.”

They are a completely web-based organisation but hope to open a store or gallery in Bude, in the future in their father’s memory to continue the work of Dad’s Place.

The team does not charge commission for sales but does ask that artists pay the PayPal fees they accumulate.

The group is also able to print artists’ work to a high standard, for minimal fee, on a range of media — including canvas and gloss paper, using colour collaboration software.

Artists who wish to join Dad’s Place will also benefit from being publicised through their social media platforms on Facebook, www.facebook.com/dadsplacebude, and Twitter @dadsplacebude

To find out more visit www.dadsplace.co.uk email Matt Emo on [email protected] or call 07572 291599.