On the first two weekends in May, in a long-held tradition, Vashon artists will open their studios for curious art lovers to take a peek into their work-a-day world during the annual Spring Art Studio Tour.

This year 20 studios of painters, sculptors, printmakers, jewelers, potters, wood carvers, glass artists and more will be on the tour, along with three retail galleries.

Visitors can watch glass-blowers fashion new work or step into a yurt on a small working farm for a demonstration on hand-painting Ukrainian eggs. There are potters turning out functional wares and those who hand-shape raku-fired pots. Delicately crafted sterling silver jewelry, hand-felting, space-age folk art assemblages, garden art and concrete sculptures inspired by a Japanese aesthetic are for sale, as are a plethora of cards, woodcut and mono prints, whimsical tiles, drawings and photography.

Visitors can purchase original artwork at the studios and are encouraged to ask artists about their creative process.

The tour also provides a delightful opportunity to see what lies beyond the island’s main highway. Many of the studios are tucked away in the woods, situated on inland farms or boast water views.

Tour brochures with maps are available online at www.VashonIslandArtStudioTour.com and at island businesses, galleries and art studios.