Several weeks ago, while out walking our cocker spaniel Finlay, I spotted a banner attached to the railings of a Victorian house near where I live. It was promoting the fact that the artist who lives in the house, Sophie Coe, was opening up her home as part of the forthcoming Artists’ Open House weekend. I found her on Instagram and liked her work, so I stuck the dates in my dairy. The next day I messaged my daughters to see if they might be interested in accompanying me as they were coming over that weekend, and suggested that we could, perhaps, also go and see some of the other open houses. Yes, they said, they’d like that.
The concept of artists opening their homes to the public began in the seaside town of Brighton back in the 1980s and has been growing ever since. It’s a great opportunity to see work in the makers’ surroundings and to imagine, perhaps, how they might look in one’s own.
I have visited artists’ open houses in several places around the country and often purchased paintings and pottery, but, oddly enough, never very local to where I live: I was interested to find out what the craftspeople and painters on my doorstep were up to, plus I had never seen this particular artist’s work and was keen to do so. More than that, I was also keen to see inside the house. I have walked past it a hundred times and always admired it and wondered what its interior looks like. It is one of a pair and sits in a row of houses that line one side of The Green, a much-loved space where cricket is played, sports days take place, childrens’ parties are held, and pensioners meet to drink tea and pass the time of day.
The door was wide open when we arrived, so it was quite clear we were welcome. We began to look at the artworks that lined the walls and had a chat to the artist, and also to her husband who was helping out for the day. Neither house nor work disappointed. I especially liked Sophie’s cyanotypes, a camera-less photography technique that involves laying an object on paper, (ferns and feathers are often used) that is coated with a solution of iron salts, before exposing it to UV light and washing with water to create stunning white and Prussian blue images, and also her charcoal landscapes.
With regard to the interior, I was interested to see how the family house had been changed to be more open plan, with a glazed extension giving fabulous light to the back part of the house and leading onto an unbelievably long garden: I had no idea these houses had such large plots.
A feature of the glazed kitchen area was a group of white umbrellas hanging from the roof supports.
“Are these an art installation?” I asked, “or are they always here?”
“We put them up when we realised how hot it can get in here and then we rather liked them, so they stayed” explained Sophie’s husband laughing.
I thought they were a great idea and a really interesting way of solving the issue.
Before leaving, we picked up a booklet for the whole event, with a map showing all the other houses that were open. Several were a short walk away and I was excited to see that another property I often walk past and have been curious about, as it is clearly an old industrial building that has been artfully modernised, was also open as part of the scheme.
It turns out that it is a sort of collective space where several model-makers and designers for film production are based. I loved the way the building had been adapted, apparently from an old engineering works, and spoke at length with one of the owners, Karen Grosch, who, quite aside from being a talented maker (I loved her resin casts of bottles), is currently researching the streets immediately local to her which have changed a lot in the past 50 years. I expressed a similar interest and Karen subsequently sent me a great photo of the street where her building stands, from the 1970s. Even though that doesn’t seem that long ago to me, the street has seen big changes since then. Fascinating.
My daughters had never been to an Artists’ Open House before and were intrigued by the whole concept. We met several really talented and interesting people and although my daughters got fed up with me chatting to everyone for so long, they agreed it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon. We shall definitely be going again next year.
I am interested to know from some of you who don’t live in Britain, is the concept of Artists Open Houses something that takes place in your neck of the woods? To everyone else, I’d love to hear about your visits to artist’s homes under the scheme. Please leave a comment.
You’re reading Home Truths, a newsletter from me, Susy Smith. I am many things: a parent of grown-up kids, a dog owner, a gardener and a compulsive mover of vases (I worked for years as a stylist). I am also a writer/editor and former Editor-in-Chief of British Country Living Magazine.
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I love visiting Artist Open Houses! You asked for recommendations and I found this info on Parisian Open Art Houses which looks too good to miss (grab your croissant and paintbrush) : https://en.parisinfo.com/what-to-see-in-paris/paris-for-free/free-exhibitions-in-paris/free-visits-to-artists-studios
Good morning Suzie! Thank you so much for your latest Home Truth- I loved reading about the Artists’ Open House event and just wish I’d known as would have loved to go. We live not far away from the Green. Am now following Sophie Coe on Instagram and was blown away by her beautiful sea - cloud scapes! Really inspiring- thank you for enlightening my Sunday!