You never know what you may find on the Back Roads Studio Tour

Chava Field-Green | Sep 16, 2015

While it may be warm today, we’re heading towards October and you may be interested in taking an autumn journey through the back roads of North Frontenac to discover a few hidden treasures.

Not only will the scenery be fantastic but also the weekend of Saturday & Sunday, September 26 and 27 from 10am until 4pm every day, local artists will be opening their studios to exhibit their handmade wares in the gardens and studios in which they were made.

There are a variety of mediums represented this year in 12 locations across an expanse of roadway weaving in and around a multitude of lakes and vistas. There will be oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings, jewelry, woodcarvings of all shapes and sizes and even award winning embellished and carved gourds by Plevna artist Marlene Leeson.

There will be stained glass, paintings and painted floor cloths at Red Dragon studios near Malcolm Lake. Down the road a little while you will find concrete furniture on display and for sale at Tuscany Concrete on the shores of Little Mink Lake.

On the way to Buckshot Lake there will be hollowed log forest frames, quilts, dish cloths and other sewn treasures at one studio and acrylic paintings and hand carved lawn ornaments at another.

In Ompah you will find the meticulously detailed paintings of Linda Rush.

Silent Valley Alpaca between Snow Road Station and Ompah will be interesting over the weekend as the studio tour coincides with National Alpaca Farm Day across Canada and the US.

Robert and Hanne Quigley will be hosting a look at Alpaca farming and processing the fleece. There will be a raw fleece dying demonstrations. Someone else will be carding the fleece into roving for spinning. A weaver will be on hand to show her work process on the loom.

Visitors will have the opportunity to check out the barn and see the new baby alpacas as well as their friends and family. Baby alpacas are roughly 16 lb. when born and grow up to weigh as much as 190 lb. for a male and 160 lb. for a female. There are 35 alpacas in all at Silent Valley. You’ll also get a chance to see the finished product at the old granary that’s been converted into the farm store, which will be selling dyed yarn as well as items of knitwear.

Johnston Lake Organic Food and Good Stuff Bakery will prove to be a tasty place to stop along the route.

“This area is littered with artists and artisans back here,” said Marlene Leeson, “We’re trying to pique people’s interests. I’m trying to beautify Plevna”.

Leeson has already put Plevna on the map, when one of her pieces won 3rd place in an international gourd art competition. She uses everything from clay, textile mediums to wire and acrylics.

You can find more information in the brochures that are distributed at businesses in the area as well as at each stop on the tour. There’s also a helpful website northfrontenacbackroadsstudiotour.com