Last weekend, nine local artists invited the community to tour the region and check out their exhibits at the 30th annual Pontiac Artists’ Studio Tour.

Hosted by ArtPontiac, the event consisted of a five-destination tour of art studios located in three municipalities in the region, including Studio Trifolum in Grand Calumet Island, the Stone School Gallery in Portage du Fort and the Little Red Wagon Winery in Clarendon among others.

With road-side signs set-up along the route, art enthusiasts from the Pontiac and beyond were free to roam from one studio to another to see the marvelous masterpieces local artisans have to offer.

Among the artists featured on this year’s tour was Linda Godin, a wood-sculpting savant from Grand Calumet Island.

Retired from her teaching career in Gatineau, Godin spends the majority of her time huddled inside her home studio (her tool shed) sculpting wooden wildlife figurines.

For Godin, the tour has been beneficial to her work as it’s shed a considerable amount of light on it. While she doesn’t do art for the exposure, she’s grateful knowing that her work is valued by fellow art enthusiasts.

“It’s weird because most artists are introverted people,” she said. “It’s a little like a comedian going on stage to receive an award. They don’t do it for that. I do it because I love working with the wood. Certainly, when someone buys a piece it’s a sign of approval. It proves that the work you do is justified and appreciated because art is supposed to be appreciated.”

Over at Studio Trifolium, was stationed Godin’s sister, a stained-glass mosaic maestro Marie-Jeanne McTiernan and her exhibit of countless colourful creations.

Inspired by nature, her work consists of a multitude of pieces depicting what she sees in wildlife settings and the outdoors, including glass birdhouses, snowshoes and flowers among other things.

A member of the Pontiac Artists’ Association since 2012, McTiernan feels like the annual tour is a great way of promoting artists and their work as it draws plenty of tourists as well as local art enthusiasts.

“It’s definitely a way of showing off the work that I do,” she said. “I think the advertising for this tour, because it’s been thirty years now, is so great that you get people from all over the place”.

While the opportunity to make money from her passion is certainly a positive thing, Mctiernan believes the best part about the tour is the appreciation people show when they visit her studio every year.

“Selling something is good, but having people that come in, first thing in the morning, saying ‘you’re the first studio that we wanted to do because we love your stuff.’ That to me is the biggest compliment,” she said.

Next weekend, the 30th annual Artists’ Studio Tour continues with the same nine artist’s work exhibited in the same five studios.

Further information about the tour, including the map is available on the ArtPontiac website.

Last weekend, nine local artists invited the community to tour the region and check out their exhibits at the 30th annual Pontiac Artists’ Studio Tour. Pictured, Grand Calumet Island based stained glass artist Marie-Jeanne McTiernan shows one of her masterpieces, an apple made out of a glass mosaic.

Acrylic artist Jill Alexander poses for a photo at the Stone School Gallery in Portage du Fort on June 8. Her exhibit is one of three featured in the municipality during this year’s Pontiac Artists’ Tour.

Local artist Rosemary Driscoll poses for a photo inside the Stone School Gallery in Portage du Fort on June 8. Driscoll specializes in fused glass, watercolour, pastels and printmaking.

Local wood sculpter Linda Godin poses for a photo inside her studio.

Watercolour, acrylic and photographic artist Cheryl Dolan poses for a photo at her exhibit at the Little Red Wagon Winery in Clarendon on June 8.

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