Fairfield Art Group continues to thrive with growing numbers at the fortnightly meetings – but we still have space for more. If you’d like to join our friendly group as we make art together, please contact me on 07434 351027 or email val@vallawsonart.com.

I am also the North Herts Area Coordinator for the Herts Visual Arts Forum, and like many of their other members across the county, I’m busy preparing for Herts Open Studios 2021. This event runs from 18 September to 10 October and several artists are taking part in North Herts, offering a lovely art trail for visitors to follow. As well as 12 artists spread from Royston, Baldock, Hitchin, Great Offley, Pirton and through to Stevenage, another 12 are exhibiting in Letchworth – including me. Between us, we offer glassware, textile art, sculpture, willow weaving, jewellery and paintings in a variety of genres. The trail is a perfect source of unusual gifts – for birthdays, anniversaries … oh, and Christmas of course – less than 18 weeks away!

As part of the Letchworth Culture Project and we also have the use of two retail units throughout the Open Studios event to use as pop-up galleries, at 9 Howard Park Corner and at Broadway Chambers, Station Place. As well as exhibiting and selling a variety of original artwork, there will be several workshops on offer at Broadway Chambers, plus the opportunity to chat to the artists and watch them at work. The galleries will be open from 10am–4pm every weekend and on Wednesday–Friday each week.

For more details of Herts Open Studios, all the venues and workshops on offer, go to www.hvaf.org.uk/open-studios where you will be able to download art trails, find out more about the artists, and book workshop places.

Val Lawson