York Open Studios, March 23 to 25 and March 31 and April 1

“We’re having some work done,” her email explains. By “we” she is referring to herself and fellow illustrator Mark Hearld, who are, as the argot has it, an item.

As it happens, there was no builder banging around when we arrived at the door of 104, The Mount, new home to Emily and Mark, with a fox door knocker as the first indication of Mark’s love of wildlife.

The Press would not usually divulge full addresses, but Emily and Mark will be taking part in the 2012 York Open Studios, whose brochure gives details in full to facilitate visitors negotiating their path from location to location.

Ironically, Emily and Mark’s brochure entries read “venue to be confirmed” but the house is being readied for the inevitable invasion on March 23 to 25 and March 31 and April 1.

Emily is kitted out in Barbour, mittens and a scarf, arty for the city you might say, but practical too in a house yet to be crammed full of the animal world that made Mark’s previous home feel more like an art installation.

Mug of tea in hand, ink marks on her fingers, Emily sits at a table with samples of her latest work in front of her, as she anticipates her York Open Studios debut after moving from Stillington.

“This will be my first time, but the Open Studios event is so good for York,” she says.

“It’s really well organised and what it’s done is bring the York art community together and also introduce artists to other people.”

Above all, it does what it says on the tin, opening studio doors to the public to let them see artists at work or in their working environment.

“Seeing art in the context of the home makes it much more approachable, whereas galleries can be austere. People look around, have a cup of coffee, and the atmosphere is one of friendliness and chat,” says Emily.

“It has more of a social feel to it, which makes it easier to take everything in, so people don’t feel intimidated when they walk round, and it’s also a family event as children come round too.

“And often it’s not the art that people come to see but the house and the objects in them that have inspired the art.”

Emily has enjoyed wandering around past York Open Studios weekends herself.

“I find that when you look at people’s work in their homes, the work makes sense in their world, and it really adds another level of interest,” she says.

Emily and Mark, in their second year together, are in the early stages of settling into The Mount.

“We have each allocated ourselves a studio room. Mark’s will look out on to the world from the ground floor, sharing his studio with Amy Husband (although she’ll be exhibiting at Bootham School during the York Open Studios event), and I’ll be on the third floor in a little room that will be my little zone as I like working in a little space,” she says.

“Mark likes company in his studio, whereas I like working on my own – and it’ll stop us from killing each other!

“But it’s always good to be able to bounce ideas off each other, like you did when you were at college.

“In fact, that’s the worst thing about leaving art college; you miss having people to do that with.”

•York Open Studios, March 23 to 25 and March 31 and April 1. Opening times: Friday, 6pm to 9pm; Saturday, 10am to 6pm; Sunday, 11am to 5pm. For full details, visit yorkopenstudios.co.uk