This year, for the first time, Karen Hollis taking part in the West Berkshire & North Hampshire Open Studios. This event happens every May and enables artists to open their studios or workspaces to the public. It's a great way to view the homes/workspaces of artists and to get a sense of how they create their work. It's always interesting to see the differences between how and artist paints and their surroundings.

Karen will be joining her neighbour Nick Schlee who is a regular participant in the Open Studios scheme. They will open their studios on three Sundays during May 2016. This will enable you to visit their workspace and see the full range of their work. The artists will be on hand to answer any questions about their work.

Karen and Nick, although both painters, have very different styles and work areas. It's easy to see how Karen's graphic design background comes into her studio with everything in it's place and neutral wall colours to highlight the brightly coloured paintings. In contrast Nick Schlee has a very traditional setup with double height windows and a woodburner to compliment the aromas of turpentine and paint.

For more information check out the open studios website which will be updated throughout the year.