ART lovers will get the chance to see work from some of Sussex's most creative talents - and nose around their private homes and gardens - as a popular festival returns.

The Artists Open Houses festival opens today covering five weekends up until Bank Holiday Monday on May 30.

Each weekend, artists from Brighton, Hove, Ditchling, Rottingdean and the Ouse valley will throw open their doors and studios to show residents everything from sculpture and painting to jewellery, ceramics and textiles.

More than 1,000 artists will exhibit their work, giving art lovers the chance to buy work and talk to its creators.

This year more than 60 new Open Houses will be taking part for the first time.

Judy Stevens, Artists Open Houses festival director said: “We are thrilled to have so many new artists and houses taking part in this year’s festival.

“Brighton and Hove is an incredibly creative city with a wealth of talent.

“The festival is a fantastic platform for artists and makers and it’s a testament to its success that so many of them all ages and at all stages of their careers choose to take part.”

A majority of Open House venues belong to one of 14 Open House Trails, which cover different areas of the city and beyond, and are designed so visitors can poke their heads into as many houses as they can.

Entry is free and many Open Houses offer homemade tea and cake - as well as a chance to meet the artists and see them in action in interactive workshops.

The festival originated in 1982 when Ned Hoskins filled his home artwork in protest at the lack of visual arts at the Brighton Festival.

This became the Fiveways Artists Group, and was soon followed by other groupings of open houses in other areas around Brighton and Hove, including Beyond The Level, founded in 1996, and Kemptown Artists.

By 2008 there were around 1,000 artists exhibiting work in more than 200 houses, divided into trails, together with many independent open houses.

In 2002 the Artists Open Houses festival broke away from the Brighton Festival and Brighton Fringe to become an independent organisation.