FOR 25 years Colmer’s Hill has represented home to Bridport artist Marion Taylor.

And as her obsession has grown over the years she has discovered she isn’t alone in being drawn to the iconic landmark.

Now her love affair has promoted her to put together a book showing how other artists have responded to the hill.

Her book ‘Colmer's Hill, One Artist’s Obsession' has taken two years of research and features 22 artists who she feels have captured the essence of Colmer’s Hill in a unique and authentic manner.

The include Paul Nash, Brian Rice, Kit Glaisyer, Caroline Ireland and Robin Rae.

Marion said: “I have been painting in the Bridport area for the past 25 yers and I have always really loved painting Colmer’s Hill and became obsessed with it.

“I started a scrapbook and collected other artists’ images and words and poems and it just became apparent that quite a few really well-thought of artists have painted Colmer’s Hill.

“I thought wouldn’t it be a lovely, obsessive idea to put it all together in a book.”

“To me Colmer’s Hill represents home and in town it is almost like a comfort blanket, you can always see it and it is just an absolute joy to walk up and be able to look towards the sea and see all the other hills surrounding it, it is just wonderful.

“Whatever direction you are looking at it, it changes shape."

She said it had drawn some well-known names, particularly Paul Nash when he did the 1936 Shell Guide he did various watercolours in Dorset and Colmer’s Hill was one of them.

“If he has done it, we can’t all be wrong.”

The publication begins with a short history of Colmer’s Hill – dispelling myths that surround it – such as the trees were planted as smugglers’ markers, or to commemorate Symondsbury’s fallen of World War I.

In fact the trees were planted a few years after the Colfox family bought it in 1910 to mark the birth of Thomas Andrew Colfox in 1920.

Copies of the book are available for £14.95 from the Bridport Bookshop, Bridport Museum and Marion Taylor’s website at dorsetpaintings.co.uk or direct from her Studio 6, St Michael’s Studios during Bridport Open Studios at the end of August.