A QUARTET of talented Ponteland artists will be opening their doors to the public this month.
Marilyn Bint, Anke Jackson, Christine O'Donnell and Valerie Spencer are taking part for the first time in the Art Tour, an annual event put together by Network Artists in Northumberland.
People are invited into their studios on selected weekends to view their work.
Now retired and able to devote time to her passion, Valerie says she first exhibited drawings aged nine.
Her favoured methods are with mixed media involving papers of unusual textures, watercolours, acrylics and pastels. She takes inspiration from buildings in varied cities from Newcastle to Venice, taking photos and sketches on location.
Nature is very important to Valerie and she has gone on safari painting holidays to get close to her subjects. The finished, vibrant works evoke a mixture of feelings and moods with their impressionist style.
She is displaying a wide variety of work on June 11 and 12, 18 and 19, and 25 and 26.
Marilyn is an accomplished water colour artist. She has an empathy for the natural world and paints birds, animals and landscapes in vibrant, luminous colours with a realistic result.
A former nurse, she took up her brushes when she retired and now enjoys the absorption of painting as her main recreation.
She has her studio at home, 2 Ashdale, Darras Hall, and joins in the weekly U3A art class.
Her open weekends are June 11 and 12, 18 and 19, and 25 and 26.
Christine creates pieces of art to co-ordinate with interiors, making a unique ambience to a room, and she will match size and colours to fit any environment.
She completed a foundation course in Art & Design after she left school then worked in marketing, but kept up her painting. She now has more time for her passion of creative painting since bringing up her children.
People can see her studio on June 11 and 12 and June 25 and 26.
Anke, born in Holland, has lived in three continents. She uses oils, watercolour and pastels to capture the atmosphere and feel of different landscapes, mainly of her adopted Northumberland.
Her studio is located at The Hemmel, Smallburn, (just past the entrance to police HQ on Kirkley Road). It will be open on June 18 and 19 and 25 and 26 as well as July 2 and 3.
On each day of the Art Tour, studios are open from 11am to 5pm and entry is free.
Valerie is also running demonstrations on watercolour techniques based on garden flowers at her studio in 20 Willow Way, Darras Hall.
One is already filled but the second, on Sunday, June 19, is taking bookings on 01661 824283.
Christine will be demonstrating on canvas with mixed media, creating a piece of work to fit in a colour scheme, on June 11 and 12 and July 2 and 3. Her studio is 19 The Rise, Darras Hall.
To book a place, which is essential, telephone 07713 159621.
For more information about Anke's and Marilyn's open weekends, telephone 01661 871303 and 01661 824966 respectively.
Source: Morpeth Herald
