You wait all year for Open Studios, then two come along at once.

Today Swindon finds itself in-between the two weekends of the year when artists across the town open up their studios so we can gawk at their work.

And not just gawk. If you have some spare pennies and enough space left on your walls, you can buy their artworks.

Try it, if you can. In my experience, buying an original work of art from the artist herself (or himself) is such a cool thing to do.

And make no mistake: Swindon is brimming with brilliant artists who have endless creativity.

The daddy of them all is surely Ken White, who made his name as a muralist, but now turns out stunning pictures that capture, in a few brushstrokes, the spirit of Swindon’s heritage.

But don’t take my word for it. Go and see some of his best paintings in the current exhibition at the Museum and Art Gallery in Bath Road, called Railways and Landscapes.

I was honoured to be invited to the opening of the exhibition, and I have met Ken a few times.

He’s a man of few words, but then anybody would be if their brushes could talk like his.

Once again, as well as having a look, you could also treat yourself to buying a painting, and make an investment at the same time.

You had better be quick, though, because if I win the National Lottery - as I plan to do, this Saturday - they will be gone. I am going to buy the lot.

Following on from the exhibition by another great Swindon painter, David Bent, earlier in the year, it’s great to see our local artists recognised by our local gallery, so it’s important that we show our support by visiting the exhibition (which ends on November 30).

And the same goes for the artists in Open Studios, too. From small beginnings, it has become a big cultural event, and is the final nail in the coffin of the silly claim - usually by people who don’t get out much, anyway – that Swindon is a ‘cultural desert’.

Unfortunately for me, there has been a serious outbreak of Sod’s Law that means I will be out of Swindon for most of Open Studios.

And on the one day out of the four when I was around, which was on Saturday, I couldn’t do much visiting of any of the displays because, ironically, I was involved in one.

As a member of Swindon’s urban sketching group, I was due to do my stint of manning their contribution. Urban sketchers, by definition, don’t have studios to open, so we have a stand in the foyer of the Central Library, instead.

So go along to the library, next Saturday, and find out what urban sketchers get up to, or join us on one of our outings around town, which are on the first Saturday of each month (11am-1pm, more details on Facebook).

Who knows? It could release the artist inside you, so that, this time next year, Swindon could be coming to your open studio.

We can’t end all this arty talk without referring to a true story about a schoolgirl that is doing the rounds on social media, but is worth repeating, even if you’ve heard it before.

It reminds us that you never know what people will come up with when they decide to be creative, and everyone can try it.

Teacher: What are you drawing?

Little girl: God.

Teacher: That’s interesting, but nobody knows what God looks like.

Little girl: They will in a minute.