Artists across the region are throwing open their studio doors and inviting art lovers to visit and enjoy their creations during the Golden Plains Arts Trail.
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Seventeen venues housing the works of 41 artists will be open on May 4 and 5, including nine within about 30 minutes of Ballarat.
Previously run through the local council, this year is the first time the shire's creative community have taken on the planning and execution of the annual artistic event through the GP Arts Inc collective.
Two new Haddon art galleries will be among those taking part in the event.
Artists Vida Pearson and Stella Clarke have both recently created new gallery spaces to showcase their work, with Ms Pearson sharing her space with her furnituremaker partner Fred Ross, whose work is also part of the arts trail.
Ms Pearson creates original, hand-coloured lino-cut prints featuring birds and wildflowers, drawing inspiration from the nature surrounding her bushland home and studio, and her field trips in Australia and overseas.
Each year she spends about two months travelling including outback Australia and more far-flung locations including Antarctica, Madagascar, Asia, Iceland and southern Africa.
Ms Clarke, who paints in oils, finds inspiration in the local bush, wetlands and coastal landscapes, and works from her Blue Stone Cottage Studio just around the corner from Ms Pearson.
Other artists taking part in the Golden Plains Arts Trail in the north of the shire include Pam Farey at Linton, aboriginal artist Louise Numina in Cambrian Hill, Vivien Ireland, Tanya Stanojevic Kauker and Glynis Bryan in Dereel, and Tamara Kuiler at The Well in Smythesdale.
"From all our perspectives it's actually showcasing our art from our studios - how we produce our art and maybe a little bit of emphasis on how passionate we are about it, how it makes us feel, how many of us do it for wellness and enjoyment of the experience," said GP Arts Inc secretary Marita Reynolds.
The Golden Plains Arts Trail runs on May 4 and 5 from 10am to 5pm. Open studio schedule below.
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