Caledon East Studio Tour Sept. 15 and 16

The Caledon East Studio Tour, a small group of exceptionally fine artists and artisans, have been in friendly competition with nature for almost 20 years when they open their studios for one weekend in the fall to share their newest work with loyal patrons and curious newcomers alike. This intimate tour consists of nine studio artists and their guests and can be completed in a day.

While enjoying the fabulous art and craft at the artists' private homes, galleries and gardens, visitors drive through some of Caledon's most picturesque areas, and, perhaps, a stop for lunch at one of Caledon's gourmet eateries. All studios are within a 15-minute drive of Caledon East so, armed with the studio map and brochure, newcomers to the area will not have difficulty finding their destinations.

This jewel of a tour is noted for the highest quality of its participating artists' work and sets the standard that other tours aspire to. To ensure a fresh and exciting show, studio members invite new guests every year who offer an interesting variety of media and artistic expression.

This year, the Caledon East Studio Tour takes place Sept. 15 and 16 and runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is free. All studios and their locations are represented on the tour brochure/map, which can be picked up ahead of the weekend date or at the first studio on the day of the show.

This year's artists and their guests are:

Elizabeth Babyn works from her converted church studio on Ellwood Drive in Bolton, and will be showing her large, abstract acrylic paintings. Her current work explores the juxtaposition of various paint surfaces and techniques on gessoed and non-gessoed canvas with a childlike abandon and joy. Within areas of dripped paint and free form painted surfaces, she has begun to paint various types of candy, bubble gum and jelly beans. The end result is playful and magical, like huge candy machines that defy all logic.

Guests in Elizabeth's studio this year are Lorraine Roy and Judy Joannu. Lorraine is an award winning fabric artist from Dundas, Ontario, whose elegant and detailed fabric collage works blend real and abstract images that evoke the power and spirituality of nature. Judy, a fashion designer for 22 years, creates casual and elegant sportswear for women through her imaginative use of fabric, colour and design.

Anne Shabason has taken a new direction in her painting this year. She starts with a word or phrase that is meaningful to her and then illustrates it in luminous acrylics on wood. Both words and images are incorporated into the final piece.

Anne's guests this year at her Glasgow Road studio are Roslyn Levin and Kathryn Thomson. Roslyn Levin uses the ancient art of traditional Japanese Sumi-e painting on rice paper to capture the spirit of birds, animals and human form in quick, expressive brush strokes. Kathryn Thomson is a glass blower whose exciting work in gorgeous colour includes glass jewelry, blown functional items, sculpture and larger pieces of furniture.

Cory Trepanier's studio is located on The Gore Road but this well-known artist does a great deal of his painting far from the warmth of his studio. His 2004 Coast to Canvas project explored Canada's Great Lakes Heritage Coast in each of the four seasons. This summer, Cory and his family set out to explore the mystery of the Arctic landscape and his new paintings capture the richness of Canada's north and its varying faces. Cory's oil paintings blend experience and passion into compelling images that draw the viewer closer to our natural heritage.

Trepanier's guest this year is sculptor Chris Toogood. His striking pieces in steel. copper, wood, brick and fiberglass are inspired by the beauty that surrounds his home in Dufferin County.

Arlene Peters throws her fanciful pottery from her home studio on The Gore Road. Arlene's use of bright colours reflects her love for Mediterranean pottery and her shapes & forms are an homage to the 1950s.

Her guest this year will be her dad, Gordon Peters, who just happens to be one of the original founders of the Caledon East Studio Tour almost 20 years ago! Originally making his living as a commercial artist, Gordon left the city on the weekends with his sketch book and camp stove to draw and paint. He escaped for good and has lived in the Caledon hills for the last 35 years, painting, in watercolour and oil, the landscape that continues to inspires him.

Randy McLeod creates his stunning wood turned vessels from the fallen trees he scavenges on his 100-acre farm on Airport Road in Caledon East. While favouring cherry, maple and pine for solid bowls and vases, he insists that "nothing rivals the look, texture or grain of a burl."

Bob Pennycook, Randy's guest, will provide counterpoint to the wood surfaces with his deftly executed textile art. Combining painting on fabric with layered textile collage that includes texture, images and words, Pennycook's work may "tell a story, have layers of meaning, or simply evoke a whimsical response."

Marty Rothstein is a landscape photographer who, inspired by the Impressionist painters on visits to France, is passionate about reflecting " fantastic light on a remarkable scene." From his showroom on Horseshoe Hill Road, he will be displaying rich variety of landscapes including Caledon, Muskoka, the American southwest, Australia, Prague and Italy. New for this fall are photographs of St. Petersburg and the Baltic Coast.

Marty's guest this year is Leonard Colp, an award winning sculptor who works in natural wood, stone and antler. Growing up in Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, Leonard explains that his passion has always been the world around him; water, forest, animal, fish and fowl.

The artisans at Stone Ridge Studio on St. Andrew's Road - Cheryl, Joan and JoAnne - are gardeners and birders whose work in vegetable tanned cowhide is inspired by the beauty of our natural surroundings in all seasons. Their long-time artistic association fosters collaborative floral, abstract and insect designs in jewelry, sculpture and wall pieces - all unique to Stone Ridge Studio.

Their guest this year is a permanent tour member, Bridget Wilson, whose impeccably executed stained glass and mosaics have been a tour favourite for years. This year, Bridget expresses her more whimsical side with "Hot Glass" work, multiple layers of glass that are fused and slumped to create artistic, functional glass plates and bowls.

Lyn Westfall will be introducing new work this year from her lovely home studio on Heart Lake Road. Her paintings capture the spirit of two Hawthorn trees located on Escarpment Sideroad as they change with the seasons. In addition, Lyn continues her interest in painting music with her abstract paintings that reflect the energy, movement and colours of the modern dance music that has captivated her as a guest at David Earle's Dance Theatre in Guelph.

Nestled throughout the gardens and trees of Westfall's beautiful grounds, you'll find Jim Kinnie's whimsical windchimes. Made of antique silver pieces, cutlery, crystals and beads, these one-of-a-kind creations are guaranteed to make you smile and might even provide you with an idea or two of what to do with great-grandma's silver tea service, so you won't have to polish it.

Merle Harstone, a guest studio on Kennedy Road, has a passion for abstraction. In acrylic and collage, Merle's current work is spontaneous, adventurous and whimsical.

Merle's guest, Carol-Ann Michaelson, has been a studio potter for more than 25 years. Her functional pottery is "lovely to look at, to hold and to use."

To receive a tour brochure and map, or for more, visit www.caledoneaststudios. com or call 905-857-1583.