Art: Take a peek inside creative spaces at Cambridge Open Studios

As 350 artists prepare to unveil their creative spaces to the public for July’s Cambridge Open Studios, Louise Cummings meets five fabulous exhibitors

Artist: Mariya Myronova

Medium: Contemporary and conceptual oil and watercolour paintings

About: Mariya, who works with a wide range of mediums, including classic oil and transparent watercolour, loves to capture happy moments with pastels and acrylic.

“For me, art is a form of mental math: a sum of life events and emotions, a filter, and a mirror reflecting the world around us,” she says.

Where: The Exhibition Room, Cambridge Guildhall, Market Square

When: Weekends 1,3,4

More:myronovaart.com

Artist: Iain Smith

Medium: Contemporary and abstract hand-made fused glass

About: After a 30-year career in science and engineering, Iain began learning the art of kiln-formed glass in 2008 and is mainly self-taught. “I find working with glass engrossing and satisfying and I am constantly trying to improve my work. Bowls are my favourite form,” explains Iain, whose energy efficient glass kilns are controlled by Raspberry Pi computers.

Where: 11 Lynfield Lane, Cambridge, CB4 1DR

When: Weekends 1,2,3

More: iainjsmith.co.uk

Artist: Vicky Hallam

Medium: Botanical art and illustration

About: With an architectural background, Vicky has an eye for detail which is showcased beautifully in her lifelike portrayals of plants and their anatomy, created using colour pencil, graphite and ink. “From the humble dandelion to nature’s extraordinary displays of colour found in fruit and flowers, the science and beauty of plants never fails to fascinate me,” she enthuses.

Where: 29B Richmond Road, Cambridge, CB4 3PP

When: Weekends 2 & 3

More: vickyhallamdesigns.com

Artist: John Tordoff

Medium: Collaged cityscapes

About: John specialises in urban landscapes with figures, rendered in acrylic combined with collage. Taught to draw by his father, John harboured a desire to be an artist as a child, but ended up becoming an actor. He finally trained as an artist in his fifties and has exhibited widely whilst also cultivating award-winning green spaces. “Enter the gallery space by way of our prize-winning garden,” he invites.

Where: 38 Norfolk Terrace, Cambridge, CB1 2NG

When: Weekends 1,2 3

More: john-tordoff.co.uk

Artist: Katharina Klug

Medium: Wheel-thrown porcelain

About: Creating timeless vessels for contemporary interiors, Katharina crafts her pieces from porcelain on the potter’s wheel, drawing each line by hand. “The Narrative of my work is coming from little snippets of observation in my environment. Lines are jumping out on me in almost anything – stripes on cloth, wires, and cables, plants and grasses, architecture and streets, just to name a few,” she explains.

Where: Walsh House, Huntingdon Road, Girton, CB3 OLX (entrance next to the bus stop)

When: Weekends 1 & 2

More: katharinaklugceramics.com

Artists who work in various mediums, from painting and printmaking to ceramics and glass art, will open their studios on the following weekends: July 5-6, 12-13, 19-20, 26-27, 10am to 5pm. Visit camopenstudios.org to discover more