Open house

There are thousands of artists up and down the country who need the security of salaries to pay the bills and support their families. I am one of these: reluctant to give up the day job and risk turning my artistic drive into work. Besides, I like my job and I like my colleagues. So I pursue my art in the evenings, at weekends and holidays. This doesn't make me an amateur 'Sunday painter', it makes me pragmatic. I make paintings because I can and because I want to.

I am one of a small army of artists who use regional open studio events to showcase my work. It's a this time of year they start to appear on the calendar. Dorset Art Weeks, Norfolk Open Studios as well as the event I take part in, Oxfordshire's Artweeks, all begin in May. For thousands of artists - unknown, well-known, amateur and pro - it's a once-a-year chance to show our work within the safety of an organised event but on our own terms.

I felt sick before my first exhibition in 1999. I hadn't a clue if anyone would like my pictures or if anyone would turn up at all. I didn't know anyone else who had done Artweeks. I felt nervous and very exposed. I couldn't afford to frame all my pictures so many were shown in ugly clipframes. But I got loads of positive response from visitors and sold some pictures, too! It inspired me to keep making pictures and now I get repeat visitors and buyers every year. This will be my seventh Artweeks. Artweeks gives me a deadline. I like that pressure. But best of all it makes art accessible to everyone; I hate all that elitist art world nonsense. Anyone can take part in this event and it’s great to meet people and get feedback from the public face-to-face.

I like selling my pictures directly to buyers, too, it means I can keep my prices affordable and it's so much nicer for people to buy a picture from someone they have met and talked to about the work.

You never know who’s going to show up in your sitting room though. It can be quite scary. Most visitors are lovely but I've had a few weirdos in in my time! All the same I'm not taking any chances - I always have someone else in the house with me. It must be pretty intimidating for visitors too, going into people's private homes and studios not knowing what they're going to find. There is always the risk that they won't like what's being shown, but equally there’s the excitement of discovering something wonderful and unexpected.

If you like my work why not come to my exhibition? All the details of when and where are here. Just come and look. Unless my pictures are being looked at and enjoyed I have failed. There's a cuppa in it for you, too.