Muskoka Originals: Artistry and Inspiration on the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is also the
author of The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese Women’s Lives, Kurlek, and
Margaret Laurence: The Long Journey Hom

In recent years, many rural areas have begun to sponsor studio tours for
patrons who like to talk with local artists and consider their work in a
personal setting. Not many records of such tours make it into print. One
exception is this beautifully designed and illustrated volume that
celebrates the annual tour of Muskoka-area artists and craftspeople who
open their studios to the public every autumn.

Participating artists include painters, potters, sculptors, glass
blowers, blacksmiths, jewellers, cabinetmakers, a woodcarver, and a
stained glass artist. The eclectic group shares a love of the lake
district where they choose to live and a passion for their chosen field.
The interviews conducted by Louden and Williams are personal,
insightful, intriguing and, like the photographed work, well designed so
that the reader/viewer emerges from each of the 21 visits with an
understanding of both artist and artifacts.

The authors have admirably fulfilled their stated objectives “to
capture moments of artistry in the life and work of a select group of
artists and craftspeople” and to inspire their readers “to strive
for artistry in their own lives, in whatever form that may be.”
Muskoka Originals is a book to absorb slowly, linger over, and revisit
many times.