Weekend and evening art courses (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Weekend and evening art courses

SAMANTHA Dadd is an established, professional artist who works from her studio in the Cotswold village of Conderton at the foot of Bredon Hill.

The village and its surroundings provide limitless inspiration for her landscapes and flower studies depicted in their natural environment.

Her easy-to-live-with paintings, which look good in any room or type of home, are for sale, together with limited edition prints and art cards and she also holds weekend and evening art courses at her studio. (01386 725679).

Going to visit Samantha means driving through some of the loveliest parts of the Cotswolds, immortalised by writer John Moore. But it needn't end here. Within four miles of one another, along the road that skirts Bredon Hill, are three more open studios to enjoy.

Nearest to Samantha is Toff Milway's Conderton Pottery where you can see that Toff's interest in food and entertaining in style is reflected in his salt-glazed, stoneware exhibits.

Among many other objects, he produces magnificent lasagne dishes, elevated cheese platters, watercress dishes and pedestal fruit bowls inspired by the fruit that grows so abundantly in this area. (01386 725387).

In Bredon itself Tony and Sue Davies make a range of handmade, decorated earthenware pottery. Bredon Pottery is recognisable particularly for its simple blue-and-cream range which would grace any kitchen, and for its plain and undecorated creamware range which complements food particularly well. It is also ovenproof and dishwasher safe. (01684 773417).

At the other end of the Open Studios trail is Beckford Silk, a unique country workshop for the hand printing of silk and other fine textiles. Around ten people work at the centre, making silk scarves and ties for museum and gallery shops throughout the UK and Europe.

Visitors are free to wander through the print shop, dye room and past the sewing area and the retail and seconds shops offer the chance to buy finished goods at prices below normal retail. There is also a cafe serving delicious home made food. (01386 881507).

For further information visit: www.bredonhillopenstudios.co.uk