Hertfordshire Open Studios kicks off this month with nearly 30 artists in the Watford, Three Rivers and Bushey area inviting people into their private space and world for the showing and sharing, rather than just selling, of their art.

It’s a bumper year for local studios, and talking to artists in the lead-up to the event, more than ever there is a determination to use the open doors and dialogue to raise awareness and appreciation of art in the locality.

Kathy Foster, who will be sharing Open Studios at The Watersmeet Theatre in Rickmansworth with Joy Thomson, says: “We need to get our art out and make people engage with it. You don’t have to buy art for it to be a part of your life. In France, every town, even small towns, all have galleries.”

Joy was a keen campaigner, when The Watersmeet was threatened with closure and now works as a volunteer to help keep it going. The two artists will be regularly stewarding the exhibition and hope it will be the start of the space being used for exhibitions and as a place for people to pop in and look at the art.

Watford also has a town centre showcase with a “taster” show at the Space2 gallery at the museum in Lower High Street.

Here all the local artists taking part in Open Studios were invited to put a couple of works on show, alongside personal details.

“It’s a great way for people to see the sheer variety of work. But it’s also a good way to decide which artists’ studio, you want to visit,” says Oxhey artist, Jan Langton, who has taken over as co-ordinator for this area.

Jan has unintentionally put a personal bright and bold impression on the entire event. Asked to come up with ideas for posters and brochures, she used her own artwork, Wallflowers, to illustrate her design.

The artwork was so effective, it has been used on thousands of copies of the Herts Open Studios brochures and hundreds of posters all over Hertfordshire.

“Slightly embarrassing,” smiles Jan, who quit her job in IT, to do a Fine Arts degree and now spends her time painting and teaching. She agreed to act as co-ordinator in order to to meet other artists.

She marvels at the teamwork involved in putting on the showcase and, with other members of Herts Visual Arts Society, is now campaigning for an empty shop in the town centre to be used as a temporary gallery.

For many, the charm of Open Studios is the chance to plan “trails” visiting artists in interesting locations. Some live off the beaten track, like sculptor Dick Onians, and former BA course leader at Hertfordshire University, Graham Boyd, lives in deepest Chipperfield.

Anthony Wildig’s waterecolour seascapes and landscapes are appealing, framed in the setting of the Old Bakery in Bushey where the artist has worked wonders in the garden as well.

Herts Open Studios runs from tomorrow until Sunday, October 4. For details visit www.hvaf.org.uk or pick up a brochure in local libraries.