Studio Rally: Art and Craft of Nova Scotia

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Enthusiasm and energy radiate from every page of this attractive work.
Metcalfe appears to bound from studio to studio, revelling in the quirks
and individuality of the artists and their products.

The book is a guide, in text and color photos, to 52 studios that
participate in the annual fall studio tour. It covers fine to folk art
and includes potters, weavers, carvers, sculptors, and painters. A wide
range of crafts is included: furniture, tiles, ironwork, baskets, rugs,
banners, leather, puppets, clothing, ...the variety seems endless.

At each studio, Metcalfe introduces the artist. The text remains chatty
and nonjudgmental, no matter how unusual the craft, and attempts to
capture each artist’s personality, style, and setting. The
imaginative, lively photos that accompany each portrait include a shot
of the artist and at least one view of his or her work.

Geographically, the book highlights studios from all over Nova Scotia,
including Cape Breton. The groupings follow the province’s main
tourist routes, a feature that enhances its practical value as a guide.

Studio Rally is beautifully designed and will have a long life as a
coffee-table book.