Back Roads Studio has one of best years ever, despite a global pandemic

Craig Bakay | Sep 30, 2020

In a year when a global pandemic shut down just about everything we’ve come to expect and attend, the North Frontenac Back Roads Studio Tour became something of an anomaly. It went on, albeit with the fewest number of venues in the past few years (six).

“It’s been fairly steady, but it’s early yet,” said Betty Hunter, whose Ompah area home hosted her own EJH Creations, sign makers Shawn and Heather Avery and painter Linda Rush. “It’s a beautiful weekend, the colours are just getting started and this is the first time I’ve done this at my own house.”

She said a lot of people told her they’re doing some early Christmas shopping.

“It’s a good opportunity for that because you don’t know what’s going to happen,” she said.

This is Shawn and Heather Avery’s first year on the tour.

“We’ve been pretty busy,” he said. “We weren’t sure what to expect.

“We both have other jobs (he’s a bailiff who shuttles young offenders to and from court and she has a daycare and is a foster parent) but we do custom masks and can do any sign you want,” she said.

“It’s how we spend our nights and weekends.”

Painter Linda Rush was pleased with how things were going. One of her first sales this day was the painting featured on the front page of last week’s Frontenac News.

Although she has had some formal training (she went to the same art school as Coun. Fred Fowler in the ’70s), she said she’s learned most of what she knows from other artists.

“I belong to the Rideau Lakes Art Association,” she said. “I learn a lot from other artists talking about their work or my work.”

As an example, she points to a recent watercolour on canvas that incorporates collage for texture.

Later on in the day, and down the road at 506 Tailgate Creations, Janis St. John was even more enthusiastic about the turnout on a gorgeous fall Saturday.

“This year is awesome,” she said. “We’ve had a lot more people through this morning than both days last year . . . and everybody’s been so good.”

She said she’s been inspired for next year, looking to organize and host 100 artist/vendors on her Road 506 property that boasts five ponds.

And, it’s also inspired her to keep working on her recycled glass creations. If you have any old glass from pictures or windows, she’d love it if you dropped them off for her at 1444 Road 506 near Cloyne.