GORE BAY—On August 1 two artists, Sharin Clark and Marian Maldonado-Pagan, arrived in Gore Bay from Dallas, Texas, on a two-week artist retreat. Along with their Gore Bay host Helen Siksek, the three artists painted outdoors on site as well as indoors in the studio. They stayed at the new Fish Point Studio guesthouse which is located on the waterfront.
Gore Bay is an exciting place for painters and has several museums, cultural buildings, artist studios and art-related areas of interest.
The artists planned some plein-air days where the weather was picture-perfect for painting outdoors, including a day at Montgomery Farm in Barrie Island, and a day painting the Canniff Homestead log cabin in Gore Bay, thanks to the Montgomery and Baumann families. The artists also painted the pavilion building, and the marina in Kagawong.
Another highlight of the artists retreat was a day a trip to the Benjamin Islands where the artists enjoyed painting from the boat and on the rocks.
The visiting artists also experienced a few days of stormy rainy Ontario weather. They enjoyed the rain and said it was a nice break from the Texas summer heat, said Ms. Siksek. On rainy days the artists worked indoors from a screened balcony overlooking the bay, or in the art studio of the guest house.
Aside from painting, the visiting artists were able to enjoy cultural sites on Manitoulin Island such as the Gore Bay Harbour Centre, the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation in M’Chigeeng and The Mutchmor building in Providence Bay. They also met several Island artists.
The three artists are friends from Dallas where they meet weekly to paint and sketch together. Ms. Siksek spends her winters in Dallas where she met the two visiting artists through a local art group two years ago.
“The cool clean Canadian air and the beauty of the Island have been so inspiring to me,” said Ms. Clark. “And I am especially inspired seeing Gore Bay from the porch of our gracious host’s home. They have a million dollar view of the water, birds and the boats!”
Ms. Maldonado-Pagan said, “the beautiful setting of Gore Bay and the Island has been truly breathtaking and inspiring. I have enjoyed the camaraderie of my fellow artists and the opportunity to learn and enhance my plein air painting techniques.”
“It was my pleasure to welcome Marian and Sharin to Canada and to Gore Bay,” said Ms. Siksek. “This was the first step of a new adventures in artists retreats and I was thrilled that two such talented painters were the first to paint at our new artists guesthouse. We hope to do this annually and soon we’ll invite some Gore Bay artists to visit us in Dallas to paint Texas during the winter as well.”
The artists had a combined total of 22 paintings of local scenery completed. All the paintings are on display at the Fish Point Studio shop on Phipps Street for the public to enjoy. The road is currently under construction so the best way to find the shop is to walk through the alleyway to the back of McLaughlin Block. The paintings will be on display until Thanksgiving weekend. A guest book will be set up at the shop for the public to write messages which will be delivered to the Dallas artists.
