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Herts Open Studios Exhibition 2026
5 – 27 September 2026 – 1pm to 5pm, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and 10am – 4pm Sundays
This September, Herts Open Studios celebrates its 36th year, with artists exhibiting across Hertfordshire. The annual event gives visitors the chance to meet artists, see their work up close, watch demonstrations, and enjoy conversations about the creative process.
Southern Maltings is proud to be one of the venues, hosting 6 talented local artists for you to meet. This is the fifth year we have hosted this event with a variety of local artists. Entry and some activities are free, as well as a selection of subsidised workshops in painting, printmaking and mandala making.
Meet the Artists
Julia Fonnereau
Julia Fonnereau is an artist and designer from Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire. With a background in art teaching, she is able to work seamlessly in a variety of media from print and painting to pattern design and illustration. Whichever medium she chooses, her work is carefully observed, reflecting her interest in pattern, storytelling and the natural world.
Julia exhibits frequently at Art and Craft fairs throughout the local area, showing her range of homeware, art prints and accessories featuring her patterns and designs.
She is proud to have worked closely with local businesses and organisations including producing a cover design for the ‘Bish’ magazine and designing a tote bag for the Stortford BID.
Her Artwork can be seen on display both inside and outside Northgate End Car Park in Bishop’s Stortford as well as having a large mural in the town museum at Southmill Arts.
Julia is a qualified art teacher and experienced workshop provider with frequent sessions held at Southern Maltings in Ware, The Little Arts Workshop and Townhouse Ceramics in Bishop’s Stortford. Please see their individual websites for details.
Marian Sheraidah
I’m an artist inspired by nature’s constant change and I lose myself in colour, light and texture whenever I paint. I work mainly in acrylic and oils but love experimenting with many different media. Gardening, travel and the shifting seasons fuel my creativity, whether I’m beginning a landscape with the sky or a portrait with the eyes. My favourite birthday present as a child was a set of colouring pencils and a pad of drawing paper. The sun was shining the daffodils were out and I just wanted to draw. I have never lost that feeling and love to watch a painting or drawing develop.
As a retired teacher I’m grateful for the freedom, time and space to explore, experiment and create every day. I am a member of Artvibe community with whom I exhibit and local art societies. I am a member of the She who Dares group which gives me opportunities to gain new experiences.
Rekha Gopinath
I’m Rekha Gopinath, a mandala artist, and I’m delighted to share my work with you this September.
Mandala art is a practice rooted in ancient tradition, found across Hindu, Buddhist, and Indigenous cultures as a symbol of wholeness, unity, and the cosmos. The word “mandala” comes from Sanskrit, meaning “circle” — and at its heart, that is what this art form celebrates: the beauty of symmetry, the meditative rhythm of repetition, and the quiet joy of creation.
My work is hand-drawn, using fine-line pens and vibrant colour to build intricate geometric patterns from a single central point outward. Each piece begins with intention — a moment of stillness before the first line is placed — and grows organically through layers of detail, symmetry, and colour. No two mandalas are ever the same.
I draw inspiration from nature, sacred geometry, and the meditative process itself. Creating mandalas is as much about the journey as the finished piece — a practice in patience, focus, and presence.
During Open Studios, I will be showcasing a collection of original works, prints, and mandalas on various surfaces. I warmly invite you to come and see the work up close, ask questions, and perhaps even try a little mandala drawing yourself. I will be demonstrating and holding workshops at the venue and you can reach out to me for more details on the dates.
Sarah Bissett Scott
Sarah’s large scale photographic essay for ‘Sight Visit’ reflects a journey informed by Art and Architecture, through shore’s edge, land and found sites on recent travels to Wales Cornwall and elsewhere. Her concertina sketchbooks and made small books journal her personal travels exploring mark-making abstraction and colour, no rules apply.
This Open Studio exhibition celebrates how colour returned to Sarah’s own vision following an eye operation, whose value is simply vast – thank you NHS.
Teresa West
The local environment and natural forms inspire me to create a range of hand-made prints. Print making is a wonderful medium because it enables the exploration of lines, shapes, marks and textures to express sensations of place, atmosphere, colour and light. In working through a process of over printing layers of colour, variations and adjustments can be achieved so that the initial image takes on new directions. Complementary to printmaking I enjoy the totally indulgent decorative expression of landscape using patterned papers to create colourful collages.
During Open Studios I will demonstrate different printing techniques and undertake some practical workshops in print and collage to explain my studio practice and inspire visitors to enjoy being creative in different ways.
Ware The Woman Went
I am a self taught abstract artist and I specialize in texture art and gold leaf. I first began painting during the COVID 19 pandemic lock down and from there I began showcasing my artwork. I sell my larger paintings though Saatchi Art. I will be painting live for visitors to see as well as displaying my sketchbooks giving the viewer insight in to my medium and process.
Plan Your Visit
When: 5 – 27 September 2026 – 1pm to 5pm, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and 10am – 4pm Sundays (Closed on 13th September due to a private event)
Where: Southern Maltings, Kibes Lane, Ware, SG12 7BS
Cost: Free