Each year around September to November artists throughout Ayrshire make a choice to renew their membership to Open Studios Ayrshire.

Some artists annually open their studios and have seen many visitors return to buy their artworks. Each year they meet new visitors, who are discovering the Open Studios art trail in Ayrshire for the first time.

The commitment to the organisation comes with gratitude from fellow artists as Open Studios Ayrshire is now fully self supportive and financially sustainable.

John MacDonald with the help of the publishing team has done an amazing job compiling all the imagery and other content.

He has been with OSA from its conceptual year and befittingly this year he has had his wonderful abstract painting chosen for the front cover.

Margaret McDonald was also a founding member and was initially on the committee along with Bridget Hunter.

These members have championed Open Studios Ayrshire helping advise new artists as they in turn joined the organisation.

Julie H Winter, also joining in the initial year soon became a staunch, hard working OSA Member, opening her studio and supporting other artists, offering her skills to the committee during her second year, eventually taking over from Irene walker as chair of the committee in her fourth year.

In the second year, they were joined by some artists who are still with them and include Julie Smith, and Dianne Gardner. During Julie Smith’s first year as an OSA artist, she was not sure at first if she wanted to carry on exhibiting from her home studio, so it was suggested to her that she exhibited at Dean Castle Country Park with a host of other artists. Last year Julie, reorganised the way Open Studios Ayrshire functions.

Many of these people have worked hard to support OSA, but none more so than Duncan Stewart who works behind the scenes, tirelessly promoting Open Studios running the website where visitors can sign up to be informed as soon as our new brochure is ready to view.

In 2018 we were joined by Rose Anson, Evelyn Blake, Victoria Braithwaite, Ritchie Cameron, as well as Paula Maughan, who’s artwork was selected in her first year to be on the front cover of the brochure, way to go Paula! Victoria Braithwaite has proved to be a leading light with social media and is a very talented and prize winning addition to our group of talented artists.

Julie announced that after 2019, she may no longer be exhibiting with Open Studios Ayrshire. She is intending to move back to South Yorkshire to support her family and her new-born grandson. However she is hoping to keep in touch with Open Studios Ayrshire members and is looking to be invited back as a visiting artist.

Julie says: “It has been a wonderful experience creating landscapes relating to this amazing part of Scotland, I