Acorn Open Studios: a creative trail across Berkshire

There is something quietly satisfying about being let into a room you would otherwise walk past without a second glance. That is the whole point of Acorn Open Studios, which returns for its third edition across East Berkshire on the weekend of 7-8 November, with studios open from 10:30 to 16:30. The trail is free, and this year it has grown to double the size of previous editions, with 30 artists and makers taking part across Wokingham, Reading and the villages in between.

The name comes from Berkshire's ancient oak trees, some over a thousand years old, which grew from a tiny acorn, and the founding artists hope the event will grow into a permanent part of the county's artistic landscape. What sets it apart from the more established art trails in the area is the access: instead of a gallery wall, you go straight into the artist's own workspace, the place where ideas are actually worked out, and everyone is happy to talk you through how they do it. Work is usually for sale, but there is no pressure to buy.

Wokingham carries a good chunk of the trail. Celine Gilart paints vivid, contemporary scenes inspired by everyday life and the coast; Connell McMenamin works in oil and drawing from a classical realistic base; Jayne Kozlow does printmaking and ceramics, with limited hand prints of birds and animals paired with her partner's hand-thrown pottery; Lisa Binnie runs Binnie Pottery, with hand-thrown ceramics and pottery experiences; Shirley Smith makes ceramics, sculpture and functional objects inspired by the natural world, birds and marine life; and Trish Roberts incorporates cardboard waste into contemporary printmaking.

In Reading, the trail takes you to Jo Bayliss, who works across painting, printmaking and ceramics; Paola Minekov, whose painting, mosaic and digital art form part of the 'In The Habit of Becoming: Transform. Repeat.' series with Natalia Giacomino; and Jenny Halstead, working in painting and oil and pastel drawing. The trail then heads out to Lower Earley, Shinfield and Spencer's Wood, where Emma Major uses digital art, clay and mixed media to explore themes like loss of sight, disability, politics, nature and mental health; Calina Lefter does mixed media and watercolour portraits and florals; Martin Rolfe works in mixed media, collage and watercolour; Lesley Redmond paints and draws landscapes and marshes; Sayani Drury combines painting, drawing and textiles; and Elizabeth Baldin produces painting, drawing and prints in ink, watercolour and acrylic on paper and canvas, alongside prints, greeting cards, aprons and mugs.

A bit of friendly competition is built in: if you visit five or more venues and get your brochure stamped, you could win one of three goodie bags put together from contributions by the artists. A downloadable brochure gives you the full map and the list of everyone taking part, and there is an RSVP option via Eventbrite if you want to plan ahead. Applications for this year's trail are now closed, so if you are an artist looking to join in, the best thing to do is visit in November and have a chat with the group about 2027. It is a low-key, unhurried way to spend a weekend, and one that lets you see the work being made rather than just the finished piece hanging on a wall.