TEACHER Tara Parker Woolway will open her studio next week as part of Oxfordshire Artweeks.

The head of art at Commonweal School’s new studio in Bourton near Highworth will be open between noon and 5pm over the bank holiday weekend and on May 11 and 12.

‘My art can be split into two main areas, landscapes (and seascapes) and wildlife,’ the artist-in-residence in White Stuff in Marlborough, explains.

Mrs Parker Woolway has taken part in Oxfordshire Artweeks for the past nine years, and this year is opening the new studio for the first time.

Her landscapes are all inspired by the local area, including Ridgeway and the Marlborough Downs.

“The shapes and colours that are found naturally in landscape fascinate and inspire me,” said Mrs Parker Woolway.

“Along with the sense of history that can be found in these ancient areas,” she added.

“The idea that someone from another time has walked and lived in the same space excites me,” said the artist.

Mrs Parker Woolway is also increasingly interested in endangered wildlife and birds.

“I hope through my art to increase people’s awareness of the beauty we could forsake for the sake of human development,’ she said.

The Artweeks festival is Oxfordshire’s largest visual arts festival and the UK’s oldest and biggest Open Studios event.

It is a three-week not-for-profit celebration of the county’s artistic and creative talent.