Mayor of Pembroke Dock Cllr Maria Williams was honoured guest at the launch of a series of two Open Studio weekends at the AJ Ludlow Colours Painting Café, Llanreath.

Artists Andrew and Meiru Ludlow welcomed visitors to their Pembroke Dock painting café with free wine, juice and snacks for the opening of the first Open Studio weekend.

Also present at the event on Friday, July 5 were the guest artists: wildlife photographer Alan Merrett, showcasing spectacular moments in the lives of local otters, kingfishers, owls, puffins and other creatures, and Angela K James, a gifted illustrator working with diverse techniques.

The AJ Ludlow Colours Painting Café is based at 10 St Patrick’s Hill, Llanreath and gives artists of all abilities a chance to relax, de-stress and spend time together in creativity, with views over the Milford Haven waterway as a backdrop.

The artwork on display ranged from aircraft in cloudy skies and moody seascapes and soft sunsets to bright abstracts, puffins and poppies.

People think of watercolour as transparent, so it was a surprise to see pigment-rich, vibrant, semi-opaque watercolour paintings shining out from black backgrounds.

With bunting to show them the way, visitors were able to see the studio, admire the artwork and browse the many items for sale; honoured guests were allowed a privileged look inside Andrew’s well-equipped workshop where the watercolours and pigment powders are made.

Andrew and Meiru’s daughter Jaiyan, on holiday from Cambridge, manned counter for the coffee garden, which was laid out with a beautiful array of ‘nibbles’ including pastries, miniature cheesecakes, crisps and fruit.

The studio also serves as a shop for professional watercolour paints and pigment powders - made on the premises, watercolour papers, brushes sourced directly from China, and kits with sketches of local scenes and everything needed to create an artwork, including a link to video instructions.

Meiru said that painting classes, suitable for novices, will be starting again in September. For details of the Painting-Café’s events, see the website, find ‘Ludlow Colours’ on Facebook, or call 01646 687 687.