Wirral Open Studio Tour returns on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 June with its biggest event yet.
This year, there are 83 artists taking part in 51 studios the length and breadth of the Wirral peninsula, so there will be plenty to see.
The Wirral Open Studio Tour is now in its 13th year of celebrating visual arts across the peninsula and the free event sees artists and makers opening the doors to their homes or studios for one weekend each June.
The tour gives visitors an exciting opportunity to access creative spaces not usually open to the public, chat with artists about their processes, and learn more about a wide range of mediums.
Helen Smith, glass artist and a tour organiser said, “It’s been a tough few years for us all, with Covid and now the cost of living crisis. But this year’s show – our biggest so far – is bursting with colour, creativity and uplifting art, and our artists can’t wait to welcome visitors to their studio spaces.
“And, of course, what makes Wirral Open Studio Tour different from so many other exhibitions is that, at every venue, you will find the artists themselves ready to welcome you and show you around.”
One of the artists whose studio is open is Jacob Chan, based in Eastham (Main image above). He said, “My work is a combination of wheel thrown and figurative vessels that are heavily based around my cultural background and heritage. My ceramics are soda fired in a gas kiln which reaches a top temperature of 1300°c this process allows me to achieve a range of deep colours and surface textures unachievable in an electric kiln.
“Being half Chinese and half English, my ceramics take inspiration from traditional oriental shapes and forms whilst focusing on mythical figures as surface decoration.
“Within the figurative parts of my work, I include pieces of natural slate and broken pottery that have been collected from around the coastlines and mountain ranges of Britain. I use these materials to represent my Western culture and my cultural journey through my creativity.”
Amanda Oliphant’s West Kirby studio is in West Kirby. She said, “My latest work explores the emotions and ideas I experience whilst walking within the landscape; the feeling of my footsteps upon a broken path, obstacles I go around, breathtaking vistas that stop me in my tracks, taking my breath away.
“The noise of crows calling or the beauty of a songbird singing, hidden layers of colour and light, the force of the wind and rain upon my face, and the reassuring warmth of the sun gifting me a feeling of content.
“All elements that seep into my own consciousness and that remain when I’m back in my studio transferring these experiences through paint – they are a journey of life, they are, “traces through the landscape.”
All studios are open from 10am – 5pm on Saturday 10 June and Sunday 11 June, with a selection also open from 6pm – 9pm on Friday 9 June.
Visit wirralarts.com 
where you can download a tour brochure to help you plan your arty weekend.
You’ll also find printed copies at The LAKE Gallery in West Kirby, the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, and in libraries, community centres and cafes across the peninsula.
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