It’s the very last day today (Sunday 23rd) to catch Artists Open Houses from this years festival. The whole experience can be like a treasure hunt, finding fascinating products of artists imaginations in each house you visit. Hanover has many Aladdin’s caves to explore, of which ‘Hometruths‘ was my favourite.

34 Washington Street features three floors of artists drawings, paintings and prints plus handmade garments, jewellery and furniture. With 14 artists on display, it did feel a little overwhelming at first if it wasn’t for the very warm welcome I received from the host Sarah. She has bravely opened most of the rooms in her house, more than most Open Houses. On the top floor, I find Jo Moise who crafts pendants and drop earrings from wild flowers, glass and recycled coke cans. Harvesting her flowers from a nearby park, we joke she could brand her range ‘Queens Park Jewellery’. She tells me, ‘what has been good for me is that flower names are fashionable right now. I get quite a few commissions for christenings.’.

On the middle floor, I find the drawings that drew me to the house in the first place. A series of elegantly dressed ladies in 1950’s style outfits all walking very grand and beautiful dogs. The host artist, responsible for this series is an ex-fashion designer now focussing on illustration. She tells me about her campaign, Invest in Art, promoting it as a more stable investment than stocks, shares, commodities or property. ‘I wanted to create an interesting snippet of as many artists as possible and what is going on.’ she said about the exhibition.

In another room, Darren Calder, an abstract screen print artist whose themes centre around identity and relationships. He presents a large screen print image of his daughter with block tones of bright green and yellow, which is his commercial work, offering sittings for family portraits ‘with a difference‘. As we get talking, he reveals more about his less mainstream work, his tapestry projects on ‘attachment’ to material possessions, using objects people had left with him in the weave. He’s a keen father involved in groups around the city to promote the father’s role in society.

In the garden, they are offering tea and cake but also face-painting, which is bound to make any parent popular with the kids. If you have time after all that, why not take a trip to ‘Brighton Photo’ on Coleman Street or grab a lovely cup of coffee in the Hanover Community Centre. It’s certainly a great day to be out on the trail.