A former Newton Abbot art student has achieved a ‘royal double’ with a piece of his artwork on display at the Royal Academy Summer Show and becoming a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors.

His work will also be shown at the New York Art Fair in September.

Tony Blackmore is a former Coombeshead Academy pupil. He now lives in London and his mum Kathleen is still in Newton Abbot.

He said: ‘It seemed fitting that on the 25th anniversary of my degree I apply for membership of the Royal Society of Sculptors and submit a large-scale paperfold for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

‘To my delight my artwork ’Constructive Interference’ was one of 20,000 artworks to be accepted and I was admitted to the Royal Society.

‘For my latest series of work ’Paperfolds’ I start off with single sheets of drafting film, traditionally used by architects, and hand-fold them into complicated 3D abstract patterns.

‘When casting light over the surface of each work, illusions of shapes in differing shades of light and shadow appear to shift in depth and form. This illusion is exaggerated further with the movement of the viewer.’

Tony grew up in Newton Abbot and attended school and college in the town.

He said: ‘I went to Highweek Primary School and then onto Coombeshead Comprehensive where I was taught, and very much influenced, by the quite eccentric Mr Perrin, who had a flair with imagination and neck scarves. For my O’ level I was taught by Miss Mirch and Mr Hall.

‘I then attended Newton Abbot Sixth Form College. After that, although it was usual to attend what was then Torquay Technical College, to do a Diploma in Art and Design, I looked further afield and was able to get a place at the Winchester School of Art with financial support from Torquay Council.’

After a year in Winchester Tony went on to study for a degree in Sculpture at Kingston University where, in 1993, he graduated with a first class BA (Hons). In 2003 he graduated with an MA in Fine Art from the University of the Arts, London.

One of his forthcoming aims is to have an exhibition at Plymouth Arts Centre.