Open Studios

[Daisy]

Every year there's a host of venues open to the public from now until 27th August, covering the whole of our county. There's a huge variety of arts and crafts on display, amateur and professional, and it's a wonderful showcase for artists and crafts people of all kinds. It's really interesting to meet the artists in their studios or workshops. Some of them give talks and demonstrations, and a lot serve tea and cake (usually with the proceeds going to charity).

We're going to visit a wood turning friend's tomorrow - he's exhibiting with several other crafts people, so it should be an interesting variety of work on show.

Does anyone else have anything similar in their area?

[Gemini]

Not that I'm aware of Daisy, but it sounds a lovely idea.

[Enfys]

Daisy, where do you hear about what’s on? I’ve seen things in the past but haven’t seen anything this year.


edited: found it. I was looking under Dorset, forgot you were in Hampshire 😀

[Daisy]

Enfys - there are quite a lot of open studios around Ringwood and Fordingbridge - so not too far from you. I'm going to try and go round a few - rather guiltily really, because I'm looking for inspiration and ideas. I do need to joing an art group or, better still, go to classes, now I will have a bit more time.

[WeeGranny]

We've had one in our area for years Daisy. The artists in the village now all show their work in the unused buildings on the barracks ( now redundant) for 3 weekends in July. They also run a Pop-Up cafe and various other events at the same time. I've been but haven't been impressed, much preferred going to the artists' studios/workshops.

[Daisy]

WeeGranny - that sounds lovely and 3 weeks is a good length of time to give people a chance to see the displays.

Our Open Studio event has been running for about 10 years, and it's across the whole county. I don't suppose I'll have time to get to any in the north - about 1 1/2 hrs away!

We visited our friend's studio this morning. There was also a potter, a print maker, 2 weavers and one of the weavers did all sort of other textile based crafts using felting techniques (no, I don't know what it is) and appliqué work. She had made some lovely jackets, ponchos, scarves etc from her own woven fabric. She was very interesting to talk to and an inspiration. She was telling me that she has a problem with her eyes and was told about 3 years ago that she's likely to lose her sight eventually, so it gave her the kick start to do all the crafts that she's been thinking about and 'meaning' to do. It makes you think - time is not endless! The other weaver was demonstrating, and she said she'd only picked up the hobby after she retired.

Then on the way home I called into another exhibitor. He did all sorts of painting - oils, watercolours, acrylics, mixed media and a wide variety of styles. I didn't quite 'get' the watercolours painted onto sheets of music, but he had done some stunning pictures using everything from tissue paper, sandpaper, foil etc to get different colours and textures into landscapes and cityscapes.

Anyway, it was all enough to send me out to the summerhouse to finish a painting I started at the caravan a few weeks ago!