Yesterday marked my inaugural road trip on the back roads and highways of the stunning Muskoka’s for the 34th annual Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour. I was lucky to have great friends along for the ride as we visited a handful of the tour’s 20 Muskoka-area artists, taking in the rugged scenery, friendly local charm, extreme talent, and breathtaking fresh autumn air.
In existence for over 30 years, the tour showcases the talent of painters, sculptors, potters, jewellery makers and photographers from across the Muskoka area. I couldn’t agree with the tour’s brochure more when it states on behalf of the local artists: “As professional artists, we often work in solitude, but we believe that art is better understood when you meet its creator.” Indeed, the setting only served to enhance the work of the five artists we visited yesterday as we were treated to watching art in the making first hand.
Our first stop on the tour was Lindgren Pottery. Eric Lindgren opened his studio up to a transfixed crowd gathered to watch him “throw” a pitcher. I came away from his year-round showroom with not one but two cobalt blue mugs, one of which is beside me now, steeping tea while I type away. We also visited two jewellers, Stan W Tait, and Penny Varney, both showcasing gorgeous silver pieces, many of which mirrored Muskoka area landscapes. We enjoyed viewing photographer Tony Varney’s collection of photos from his many travel adventures to Scotland, Asia, the Bahamas and, of course, the Muskoka’s. I was particularly drawn to his striking photos of Tibet. Amazing!
We travellers did take time to stop for lunch (always important!) as our tour took us to charming Lake of Bays where we visited The Lake of Bays Brewery, best known for it’s new autumnal Red Ale. I did manage to bring some home with me and it may replace my tea once I’m done writing :). Our final two stops of the day included a visit to John de Lang’s charming Wood’s End Studio on Sparrow Lake, and painter David Dawson’s gallery at the Muskoka Wharf. John warmly welcomed us into his studio where we watched him as he worked on one of his true-to-life carved songbirds, and David watched us literally drool over his captivating paintings of the Muskoka area. While we were at the Gravenhurst wharf, we were also unexpectedly delighted to witness an outdoor wedding right at the edge of the lake. It was here that I took the photo you see above, enhanced by one of my favourite iPad apps, Colour Splash.
All in all, one of my favourite days of the year! If you would like to meet our motley “party of five,” please visit my “somewhat daily” Tumblr blog here, where I gathered a collage of iPhone pics from our awesome autumn day of adventure. If you are interested in any of the above artists or the tour itself, please visit the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour site. The tour runs again next weekend!
Hi, I’m Patti, wonderer, wanderer and photographer. During the week I’m a marketer in the publishing industry and on weekends I take to the road to explore this beautiful planet we live on. 