Garden Party at Local Studios as Podpadstudios and Zozo Thomas invite visitors to dust off their picnic hampers and pack their rugs. The August Open Studios has a Garden Party theme!
Anna Enright from Podpadstudios said, ‘We’ll be showcasing three new guest artists:
- wood carver David Boase
- and painters Deepti Arora and …
- …Carolyn Brown
Light refreshments are available. But we invite guests to bring their own picnics and join us for an afternoon of fun and creativity on Friday 21st August 2026 from 2-7pm. Croquet is optional!’
2-D: Painting with Deepti, Pastels with Carolyn
Local artist Deepti Arora will be exhibiting her vibrant paintings. She says ‘My work is playful, textured and deep-rooted in originality and sustainability. I work with acrylics, wooden hangings and mixed media. I’m best known for my signature use of pistachio shells. Each piece I create is one of a kind, shaped by my love of colour, nature, and storytelling. And influenced by my cultural heritage and lived experiences.’
Visitors will be able to have a go at pastel techniques with Carolyn Brown. This local artist’s main interests lie in the world around her, trying to capture the changing seasons. Her first love is pastel but she also works in watercolour and charcoal.
A brand new beautiful colourful piece of wall art by Komic will also be on display.
3-D: Meet the wood carver
David Boase will be bringing his latest carvings. He says, ‘I’ve spent the last couple of months reflecting on the circle. Carving nothing but circles in fact.’
Come along and see his beautifully simple and highly textural work. Meet the artist, find out all about his process, tools, and the joys of wood carving.
Zozo’s in the potting shed
Local author and illustrator Zozo Thomas, whose children’s activity books take inspiration from the scrumptious garden, will be in the potting shed with her books and crafts. Guests can indulge in some craft activities fit for a garden party: make a summer hat or a dried flower arrangement!
Podpadstudios – a scale of two dragons
Master Maker and Mrs Breaker, otherwise known as Mark and Anna Enright from Podpadstudios, will be displaying props and robots as usual. They’ll also be keeping an eye on the animatronic dragons, Stardust and Steel. Guests will be able to win a signed print of the dragons by answering the question ‘How many scales did it take to make the dragons?’
More details
If you’re at all interested in visual arts, why not come along, get inspired and meet some like minded people!
The event is from 2-7pm on Friday, 21st August 2026, at 225 Whitworth Road, Swindon SN25 3BX.
Don’t forget your picnic!
To book see https://thomzodesigns.co.uk/product/21st-aug
