Oxfordshire’s annual celebration of the arts, Art in Action , staged in the grounds of Waterperry House, opens on July 16.

Held over four days, it is dedicated to fine art and master craftsmanship.

Artists set up their studios in one of the many marquees and visitors can observe them at work as well as buy and commission art.

This year there will be a new marquee for artists from Oaxaca in Southern Mexico, a region that has a long and rich tradition of art and crafts.

Juan Alcazar is the director of the Museo de los Pintores Oaxaquenas, the main art gallery in Oaxaca. Juan paints fine watercolours and oil paintings (pictured) as well as producing etchings.

His work reflects the mythology of the area and he is well known for his design with ‘sand carpets’ that he will be demonstrating at Art in Action.

Juan is a respected artist who exhibits worldwide and he is also showing work from other artists at his gallery.

Boris Spider works with papier maché, creating installations for the many festivals in Oaxaca. His work draws on many religious influences and he also creates boxes containing skeletons for The Day of the Dead celebrations.

Miriam Ladron de Guevara is a sculptor. She makes detailed and beautiful boxes using gold leaf, with subjects such as the Virgin of Guadeloupe. She also makes bags from plastic tablecloths and has mixed them with lace and other materials. They are colourful and functional with a unique Mexican flavour and come in sizes ranging from make-up bags to backpacks.

Francisco Jesus Hernandez Perez is a jeweller whose work has a particular focus on Milagros (miracle charms) fashioned in silver.

These charms have a special history in Mexico and are traditionally used for healing purposes and as votive offerings.

Moises Martinez Velasco is a young craftsman whose family have a long tradition of weaving silk Rebozos (shawls).

Their village, San Pedro Cajones, and this family are famous for weaving and the textile museum in Oaxaca has often exhibited the work of Moises and his family.

Additionally the silk differs in weight, the colours are all natural dyes and every part of the process is done by hand.

Adriana Amayo magically transforms tissue paper into life, effortlessly creating everything from a string of skeletons to a detailed picture. She can make costumes from tissue, cutting it out to make it look like lace.

For the last two years Adriana has been a great success at the Edinburgh Festival and she also runs very popular workshops for children.

Arturo Sosa Perez is a tin designer and runs a family business in Oaxaca.

He makes beautifully detailed pieces ranging from small to very large and exhibits at the Folk Art Fair in Sante Fe each summer.

Visitors will also be able to try popular snacks from the region such as tacos and enjoy music from a Mariachi band.

It all adds up to a very authentic Mexican experience in the Oxfordshire countryside.

The first Art in Action event took place with around 50 artists in 1977.

Over the last 32 years it has grown significantly and is now an annual pilgrimage for anyone interested in the visual arts.

Visitors can learn or buy from the 150 artists and craftsmen who recreate their studios in the Art in Action marquees and demonstrate their expertise in painting, sculpture, drawing and printmaking, ceramics, calligraphy and illustration, glass, metalwork and jewellery, nature in art, textiles and woodwork.

At Waterperry, visitors can also learn new creative skills at practical classes set up separately for both children and adults; buy from more than 100 designer-makers at the craft market, and purchase art materials and publications to take home and ‘get started’.

Art in Action also offers fine music, performing artists and storytelling for children.

There are guided tours of the beautiful Waterperry gardens where picnics are popular and also of the exquisite frescoes on the walls of Waterperry House that were completed in 2006 —a ten-year project.

There is also a wide range of refreshments: cream teas from the Pear Tree Restaurant, a good selection of wines, Champagne and Pimm’s served on the lawn in front of the house, and numerous organic and artisan food stalls throughout the site.

Art in Action is a great day out for families and art-lovers alike!