ART lovers were given the chance to see professional artists in action at an event hosted as part of the Darlington Arts Festival.

The Meet the Artist event, hosted by King's Head Hotel, Priestgate, provided the public with the chance to meet local artists and to get creative in interactive workshops.

Activities included reworking old books, watercolour painting, recycling fabrics and plastics, as well as printing.

Artists Rosi Thornton, Paul Dillon and Anna Cole worked with event organiser Yvonne Preston to open the art world up to members of the Darlington community.

Ms Cole said: “I love doing and showing my work in workshops.

“It gives people the opportunity to try lots of different types of art, while using simple and cheap materials.

“It also lets us see some of the fantastic talent in the area.”

Ms Thornton, who uses old books to create new art, said: “Some people see it as destroying books, but people come to realise that altered books can become something new and beautiful.”

Ms Preston, who runs Messy Little Fingers and Scrap Studio, which aims to get children more interested in art, said: “Today we are teaching self portraits and recycling materials to create something new.

“Recycling can make art more accessible and inexpensive, using materials which are already available in the home.”