Art: A different way to discover Dales landscapes

RESIDENTS and tourists alike are to be offered a different way to discover the stunning landscape of England’s most beautiful county.

In May over 100 artists across North Yorkshire will throw open their studio doors as part of the North Yorkshire Open Studio Scheme, ranging from harbourside baiting sheds to bedrooms and barns.

The event offers the chance for people to move away from the usual tourist routes, and enjoy the breathtaking landscape of the region from the North Yorkshire Dales and Moors to the rugged North Yorkshire coastline, along with their love of art.

The 2008 North Yorkshire Open Studios, now in its fourth year, will take place over the last two weekends in May, the 17/18 and bank holiday weekend 24/25/26 May.

There is a free Open Studio guide, which contains details of all the artists taking part as well as useful maps, suggestions of unusual places to visit and places to eat and drink recommended by the artists themselves.

Christine Keogh from Art Connections, who co-ordinates the Open Studios says: “Some visitors are now planning their holidays around Open Studios and we have had lots of visitors from the South of England as well as further afield such as Canada.

“Many artists live and work in the most extraordinary places and we find that studio visitors really enjoy discovering the hidden gems of North Yorkshire as well as visiting the more well-known areas. Many of the participating artists and makers are inspired by the landscape that surrounds them and visitors have the unique opportunity of experiencing this at first hand and then again through the eyes of the artist.”

Artists include landscape painter, Katherine Holmes, who is taking part in the Open Studios for the first time this year. Like her mother and grandmother before her, Katherine paints from High Barn Cottage in Malham. Working in the studio and outdoors she paints the Dales landscape in various media, from oil on canvas to watercolour on paper. Her work is widely collected and conveys the experience of being outdoors in the Dales.

She says: “I mainly paint outdoors as this enables me to respond to places I know and love and to the ever changing weather and light. I feel I can only get closer to what’s happening in the landscape by painting this way.”

The studios are well signed and discovering these adds to the fun of the weekend, or for those who prefer ‘sat nav’ postcodes of all the studios are included in the guide which is available from Art Connections on 01756 748 529 or available to download from www.art-connections.org.uk