ARTISTS across Ryedale are offering people an opportunity to look behind the scenes when they take part in the North Yorkshire Open Studios this June.

For two weekends, Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7 along with Saturday, 13 and Sunday, June 14, over 100 artists , from Whitby to Skipton, will be inviting visitors to see the creative process at first hand - from initial inspiration to completed work.

This popular event brings together artists working in many different styles and materials, including printmakers, hatmakers, woodcarvers and photographers, all keen to reveal the imagination and hard graft behind each piece of art.

Photographers include the images of Nicola Taylor in Norton and Lucy Saggars at Ampleforth, who captures moments from rural life and the North Yorkshire landscape.

Also at Ampleforth are artsts Stephen Guyon Bird, whose paintings tell visual stories, and Jonathan Pomroy who are opening their studio doors. In Gillamoor Sally Parkin Fitton, Andrea Bailey and Elisabeth Bailey will be inviting you to take a closer look at their paintings and pots.

Event director Rick Faulkner, of North Yorkshire based Chrysalis Arts, said: "North Yorkshire Open Studios offers so much more than a trip to a gallery.

"It's a chance to talk to the artists, find out what makes them tick and learn about the techniques they use in their work. Many draw inspiration from their surroundings and there is a huge variety of studio locations to explore: cottages and smallholdings in the remote Moors and Dales."

Other Ryedale artists include:

• Painter Sue Gough and feltmaker Jenny Pepper, who both have studios at Stonegrave Farm.

• A cluster of artists in Norton including painters Catriona Stewart and Dawn Brooks, as well as ceramicist Jill Ford

• The paintings of Stephen Heward, Sproxton and Jim Wright, Kirkbymoorside, reflect their individual experiences of landscape, whereas in Beadlam Bridget Gillespie’s botanical illustrations explore the things that grow within it, from fruits and vegetables to hedgerow weeds

• Lastingham sculptor Jennifer Tetlow spends many hours hand carving blocks of stone into sculpture inspired by local wildlife.

• The monotone tones of John Creighton’s paintings and prints atAppleton le Moors, are in sharp contrast to the vivid hues of Sue Slack’s joyful landscapes in Lockton.

Images and studio details of all artists taking part can be found online at www.nyos.org.uk and in the free event guide available from tourist information centres or by emailing franceleigh@nyos.org.uk

Gazette & Herald:
 Nicola Taylor – A Hundred Silent Ways 

Gazette & Herald:
Catriona Stewart – Three Horses in Moonlight