Artful

On my way back from a medical appointment in Gravenhurst last week, Barb and I dropped by one of the many local artists' studios. Jon and Suzann Partidge have a truly interesting location, on South Monck Rd. near Bracebridge. During part of the summer, they invite in many other artists and set up the Artful Garden, with their property transformed into an outdoor gallery.

From sculptures to copper fountains, jewellery to birdhouses, ironwork to stonecarving, everything mingles with their own Pottery and artwork. It can be an extremely hazardous place to take your Visa card...

Luckily for me, I had the small car, and Barb along to restrain my impulse shopping, or the pack of howling wolves and the double sided picture of a loon would have both been coming home with me. Among other items... many other items...

While we were there, drooling over the work on display and admiring their exotic flock of chickens -- not to mention the very upscale chicken coop --we were priveleged to meet Dorsey James. Set up in the shade of a lovely spreading old tree, he was working on a sculpture, and happy to take time out to chat.

Dorsey works in wood, creating what he calls a renaissance in fine word form. Fine indeed. The amount of detail, the organic shapes that flow from the shape of the original wood, and his eye for the spirit of the wood combine into truly awe-making pieces, creations that let the wood take flight and sing.