Artists across Wirral are preparing to welcome the public into studios, workshops and unusual spaces for a weekend celebration of local creativity. The free event offers a rare chance to meet artists and explore how their work is made.
The Wirral Open Studio Tour, now in its 16th year, is set to return on June 13th and 14th, providing an immersive experience for the public to explore diverse creative spaces across the Wirral peninsula. This year’s event features more than 90 artists who will open their studios to visitors, offering an intimate look behind the scenes of their artistic processes. The tour covers a wide range of disciplines, including painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, glass, textiles, photography, and jewelry.
According to organizer Helen Smith, the tour is designed to allow the public to engage with creative environments in a relaxed setting, bypassing the formality typically associated with gallery spaces. For many attendees, the event offers the unique chance to interact directly with the artists and, in some cases, purchase original pieces of work. Among the participants is Ling Warlow, a paper botanist based in Hoylake. Warlow’s transition to creating intricate paper flower sculptures began in 2020 after her wedding stationary business was forced to close due to the pandemic.
Inspired by her local environment, Warlow turned her attention to wildflowers. "I started going out for my walks, I was looking at the wildflowers, and yeah, one thing led to another," Warlow recalled. Her creative practice, which was supported by an Arts Council grant in 2021, focuses on sustainability. She uses a heavy-weight crepe paper that takes natural dyes derived from plants and vegetable matter remarkably well. "Because my work is all about celebrating nature and celebrating wildflowers, I don't really want to do anything that's going to cause any further harm to nature," she said.
Also featured in the tour is Janine Pinion, a watercolor painter known for her evocative landscape work. Based in Wallasey, Pinion draws inspiration from the distinctive scenery of the Wirral, particularly its flat horizons and the subtle color shifts along the coast. "There’s a lot of room to imagine, to use your imagination. And when you look at the painting, I want people to feel drawn into it," Pinion explained. She notes that the Wirral Open Studio Tour has evolved significantly since its inception in 2009, growing in both scale and participation. The event remains a popular fixture for both returning visitors and first-time explorers, celebrating the vibrant creative talent present across the region.
