Nine local artists will be opening their studios this weekend, giving people the chance to discover a wealth of creative talent on their doorstep.
Cheshire Open Studios provides a rare opportunity to visit artists and craftspeople in their place of work, seeing what inspired the art and perhaps buying original pieces directly from the maker.
This weekend's participating artists include Julie Allen, Garry Olson, Jane Mitchell and Helen Robinson from Wilmslow.
Julie produces mixed media paintings, etchings, collographs and linocuts, Garry designs and makes high quality, one-off pieces of furniture, Jane who loves colour pattern and texture works in a variety of media and Helen produces contemporary mixed media paintings and charcoal drawings.
Jane Mitchell told me "The attraction of the Cheshire Open Studio is that it is local talent available for local people to view and buy if they like and for many artists it's getting the feedback which really makes it worthwhile."
Garry Olsen, who is taking part for the 13th year, said "I have been involved as it is an opportunity to meet new customers and remind old ones that I still exist. I always have work-in-progress to show as well as exhibition items for sale in my showroom. However, the bulk of my business is making bespoke items and Open Studios is successful when it results in new orders being taken."
Amongst the other local artists opening their studios this weekend are Jan Peters from Knutsford, whose unusual abstracts and figurative work is painted directly on the reverse of glass, and Sabine Kussmaul from Prestbury whose work combines delicate thread drawings and image shapes cut from steel on painted canvas.
For a full list of the nine local artists involved, including directions to their studios and images of their work, visit the Cheshire Open Studios website or pick up a brochure from the library.
Image: Jane Mitchell's work.
