ALMOST 150 painters, jewellers, sculptors, designers, potters, stained glass makers, printmakers, ceramicists and photographers have opened the doors to their studios and their homes to the public today as York Open Studios got underway.

The event provides a chance for residents and visitors to spend a leisurely weekend visiting colourful and creative studio spaces.

The Press visited four homes and studios in the Fulford Road and River Ouse area, including the home of Judy Burnett at 10, Holly Terrace, alongside the River Ouse.

Her mixed media works use a combination of monoprint, collage and paint to depict scenes from North Yorkshire and the Mediterranean, including scenes of the river which she can see from her sitting room window.

Some show the river in flood, which she has witnessed many times over the years, most notably in 2000 and 2015, when the floodwaters came quite close to entering her home.

She said the changing effects of light and wind on the moving water, and the changing seasons - with leaves floating on the surface in the autumn - are all an inspiration for her work.

At Elise Bikker's home, at 5, Alma Grove, Elise was displaying some of the three-dimensional stained glass glass objects, principally on a cactus theme, which she specialises in.

"Though I mainly use stained sheet glass in my work, I like to give this traditional medium a contemporary spin by using it in a three-dimensional, sculptural way," she said.

At Amy Rose Cylfan's home at 86, Alma Terrace, she was displaying her still life paintings which celebrate her love for plant life and natural forms.

Amy said she painted in her attic studio overlooking the river and took inspiration from aspects of her daily life, such as wild flowers picked from a hedgerow and freshly-picked pears from her mum’s garden.

Meanwhile, York School of Jewellery in Hospital Fields Road, Karen J Ward was displaying her handmade jewellery, which combines drawings of plants and the use of precious and semi-precious stones.

"The majority of my jewellery pieces are original 'one off' designs that will not be repeated," she said, adding that she said she took up jewellery seven years ago, and it was now her part-time job and she would love to go full-time.

York Open Studios takes place until 5pm today and from 10am to 5pm tomorrow, and again next Saturday and Sunday.

For full details and maps of all the studios go to yorkopenstudios.co.uk.