CRAVEN artists will be inviting people into their workspaces this weekend for the first ever winter version of the North Yorkshire Open Studios event.

On Saturday (December 2) and Sunday, they will join artists from across the whole of North Yorkshire to throw open their studio doors and invite people in to see their work, their processes, sketchbooks and equipment.

Most of their work will be for sale - ideal for that original gift in time for Christmas. People will be able to chose from prints to paintings, ceramics to sculpture, textile art to jewellery, while at the same time, supporting the area's talented artists.

Penny Hunt and Hester Cox will be showing their art at Penny's studio in Horton-in-Ribblesdale. Their work explores their individual connections to the Yorkshire Dales landscape in which they both live.

Terry Hird, in Burton in Lonsdale, is currently working on a series of paintings on the subject of floodplains.

These will be both factual and fictitious images based on the local landscape of the Lunesdale area and the Ribble valley - particularly below Long Preston where the Ribble frequently floods the low lying farmland. Mark Butler, in Grassington, is a sculptor working mainly in cast bronze. Mark will have his sculptures on display alongside ceramics by Emmeline Butler and paintings by Jacquie Denby.

Allison Wiffen, Gargrave, makes bold and colourful ceramic work. She makes wheel thrown hand decorated pieces: mugs, vases and bowls which have a bit of a retro feel.

Lisa Metcalf, in Cross Hills, works from her garden studio creating vibrant, intuitive, contemporary art. Lisa works mainly with acrylic paint and mixed media to create both abstract pieces and landscape paintings.

Judy Metcalfe, in Bell Busk, draws her inspiration from her cottage garden, specialising in eco printing. Using plants from her garden, she places them directly onto fabricate extractive natural dyes to create an imprint onto fabric or paper.

Sarah Roche, in Skipton, specialises in wet-felting creating her pieces using soapy water and the process of rolling the wool fibres, curls and silks so that they 'felt' together.

The final pieces are so detailed that, at first glance, they are often mistaken for photographs or paintings. Sarah will be exhibiting at the Craven Arts Hub in Skipton where she will be showing a collection of pieces of some very well-known and much-loved local landmarks, including her 'miniature' felts - small, delicate and beautifully detailed.

Many of the artists will also be offering festive treats to their visitors.

Find out more at: North Yorkshire Open Studio’s website: nyos.org/winter-open-studios