Visit Muskoka for Autumn Colour and Inspiring Artwork

Wendie Donabie ♦ September 6, 2012 ♦ 1 Comment

Are you looking for a great way to spend a relaxing September weekend and stimulate those creative juices before winter sets in? Here’s my suggestion. Plan a trip to Muskoka to experience the amazing fall colour and the 34th annual Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour (MAST).  The tour runs two weekends, September 22-23 and September 29-30.  In many cases this is the only opportunity to meet artists in their studios where they produce their beautiful wares.  A brochure and map are downloadable from the MAST website or you can pick one up from Tourist Offices in the area as well as from most retailers. The tour includes 18 studios where you will meet more than 20 artists.

In conjunction with MAST, I am participating in a group art show and sale, entitled, “4”,  with three other local artists, Glenys (Dee) McAlpine, Lynda Lynn, and Janice Feist.  Glenys (Dee) utilizes the geographic design of nature and still life with bold acrylic and watercolor to achieve abstract impressionism.  Quiet, remote landscapes where space, light and colour interplay stir Lynda’s emotions and guide her hand and brush to produce compelling paintings of subjective colour.  Without a doubt, Janice is drawn to colour and texture – by the way light reflects on surfaces, a branch curves to reach the sun or shadows play with colour.  Her goal with each painting is to relay her experience of the moment and convey the energy and beauty that motivated her. My work reflects my emotional connection to my subject, whether  it be the afternoon sunlight captured by a grove of trees, an explosion of fiddleheads bursting forth from the stump of an old cedar or the spiritual presence in a silent winter barn.

Glenys (Dee) McAlpine, Lynda Lynn, Wendie Donabie, Janice Feist

The showcase of our paintings clearly reflects the personalities of the group resulting in an exhibit of varied styles and subjects. There’s something there for everyone.

Windermere Village Hall

Our work will be on exhibit at the Windermere Village Hall, 2496 Windermere Road in Windermere, Ontario for two days only, Saturday and Sunday, September 22-23, 10 am – 6 pm. The Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour draws large crowds to the area and we are hopeful they will include our show in their travels. Please visit our website at www.4paintersartshow.weebly.com for a map to the show.

Getting Ready for “4”       In some ways, preparing for this show has been more challenging than all the work invested in Art in the Heart this summer. “4” required our small group to reach agreement on invitation designs, advertising, signage, distribution of posters and invitations throughout Muskoka, and to bear the costs of printing, advertising, hall rental, liability insurance, etc.  Plus two of us knew we wouldn’t be available to help during the show. Both Janice and I have other commitments on that weekend so we’ve attempted to help with as much of the pre-show work as possible.

On September 21, Lynda, Glenys, and I will do the show set up along with a couple of family volunteers; hanging pictures, placing directional signs throughout the area and making sure we have  covered all of the details for the opening on the 22nd. We’ve already learned a lot from the weeks of planning but we’ll certainly understand even more once the show is over about what worked, what didn’t and how to improve for future exhibits and sales.

The First Blush of Autumn Colour

First Signs of Autumn   This past week patches of fiery red and tangerine orange began appearing amongst the lush green forests of Muskoka. By September 22, the countryside will be a blaze of colour providing a perfect backdrop for the art tour.  I hope some of you can fit a visit into your schedules. You won’t be disappointed.

Now, I need to get back to painting so that’s all for now.

© Wendie Donabie 2012