ARTISTS in Somerset are being invited to get creative at Taunton Flower Show 2014.

The team behind Britain’s longest running flower festival – the second oldest in the world – is calling on the county’s creative types to get involved with ideas for boosting the artistic involvement of this year’s coming event.

Last year, painter Norman Steel was made ‘artist-in-residence’ of the two-day show, the first in its history, working on site and ‘en plein air’ to produce an original piece capturing it.

Flower Show marketing director, Adrian Prior-Sankey, said: “We are very open to having a variety of artistic media which hopefully will enhance the event.”

Norman Steel, the show’s artist-in-residence in summer 2013, said: “One of the suggestions that has been made, is that there are two or three artists at different locations drawing or painting at the venue.

“This would involve speaking to the punters and can be an opportunity to showcase one’s work… if you’d like the opportunity to be the artist in residence, or the opportunity to be part of ‘team-artist-in-residence’, please let me know asap.”

Anyone interested in being a part of the floral festival, or who has an idea to pitch, should email norman.steel@sky.com