Northern artists show off their wares in Plevna

Julie Druker | Jul 16, 2015

A total of 18 vendors set up their stalls at the Clar-Mill hall in Plevna for the annual Plevna Summer Craft show. The event, now in its fourth year, was organized by northern area artisans Betty Hunter and Debbie Emery, who together with the 16 other sellers offered up a wide variety of locally made items including quilts, original artwork, unique wooden frames, stained glass, jewelry, felt work, hand made soaps and candles and more.

Local painter, Cathy Owen of Red Dragon Studio in Ardoch, is one of the show's regular vendors and she had an interesting display of some of her latest creations. Owen, who has been painting for 26 years, spends seven months of the year in Ardoch and in 2013 she achieved her lifelong dream of designing, building and opening up her very own gallery and studio space.

Red Dragon Studio is located beside her cottage on Malcolm Lake and it is where she works and sells a wide variety of paintings, cards, lanterns and glass mosaics. Owen is one artist who continues to explore new horizons. Some of her latest work was inspired by local neighbours, Bud and Mary, who told her about a fundraising event for their community association in Virginia, in which local artisans were commissioned to create painted floor mats to be auctioned off for sale.

Owen was intrigued by these decorative and functional objects, which were first popular in the late 18 and early 19th century, when woven rugs were priced beyond many homeowners' means. As an alternative to woven rugs, floor cloths became a decorative way to not only cover bare floors and add colour to the home, but were also helpful in cutting down drafts. Like Owen's, early floor cloths were painted on canvas with both simple and complex imagery and it was not until the Industrial Revolution, when mass-produced woven rugs became increasingly affordable, that floor cloths eventually went out of style.

In the 20th century they became popular again when folk art came back into style. Owen's floor mats are unique and are made to be walked on. Painted in acrylics with three top coats of varathane, they can be easily cleaned and are durable. Their subject matter includes what Owen is best known for: nature scenes like stands of birch trees; local wildlife, like loons and herons, and wild local flora.

Owen loves nothing more than sharing her know how with others and she has been teaching for over two decades now. She offers courses at her studio in Plein air and watercolour painting and stained glass mosaics. For more information contact Cathy at 613-479-2137; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit reddragonartstudio.com.

For art lovers who missed the Plevna show, mark your calendars for the North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour, which will take place on September 26 and 27 and will include a number of northern area artisans.