Whidbey Island’s history as a haven for artists dates back to the 1930s when the Camfferman art colony, called Brackenwood, sprung up at the end of Goodell Lane in Langley.
Eight handcrafted studio cabins were built by artists Peter and Margaret Camfferman. She inherited the property from her aunt.
At its peak, the colony drew the cream of the Northwest artistic crop at the time – artists such as Mark Tobey, Morris Graves, Kenneth Callahan.
Today, artists still thrive on Whidbey. And at least 80 of them will be displaying, selling and demonstrating their work this weekend during the 10th annual Whidbey Island Open Studio Tour.
Art lovers and buyers can visit with painters, sculptors, photographers, potters, glass blowers, woodworkers and jewelers as the artists open their studios for a celebration of their craft.
Open-air oil painter James Moore’s studio has a view of Crockett Lake. A stunning view, said Mary Ann Mansfield.
“Not only do you get to see beautiful art but you see some amazing studios and homes,” said Mansfield, a member of the Visual Arts Committee of the Island Arts Council.
Mansfield told a story about a woman who saw sculptor Sharon Spencer’s work for the first time and just started to cry.
The woman was going through a painful divorce. The woman connected with Spencer’s bronze – the piece made the woman feel as if someone was holding her, Mansfield said.
“And she said, ‘I need someone to hold me,’” Mansfield recalled.
One of Spencer’s bronze pieces, called “The Embrace,” is on display at the Bayview Cash Store, the headquarters for this weekend’s studio tour.
Mansfield also mentioned that visitors will get to see the stunning new studio of Kent Lovelace, who paints using translucent oils on copperplate.
Lovelace’s new place is called The Black Sheep Studio and is so new “that I think the paint is still drying,” Mansfield said.
The studio is described on Lovelace’s Web site as having cedar shingle siding, clear fir interiors, an 18-foot ceiling and a black slate roof. It’s built on 10 acres overlooking the waters of Saratoga Passage with views to Mount Baker and the Cascades.
The Lovelaces’ flock of Shetland black sheep are described as a “dynamic and personable bunch.” Read more about Lovelace and view his artwork at www.kentlovelace.com.
Gretchen Cole, publicist for the event and a textile artist, encourages visitors to use Whidbey Island as artists have – as a destination. A weekend destination.
“Come for the tour, stay for a long weekend. Revel in the glory of the early days of fall,” Cole said.
Visitors can spend the night at one of Whidbey’s many quaint inns or bed and breakfasts. See www.visitlangley.com, www.centralwhidbeychamber.com or www.oakharborchamber.com for lodging and dining suggestions.
Arts writer Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424 or goffredo@heraldnet.com.
Clockwise from upper left: Works by Whidbey artists Sharon Spencer, James Moore and Kent Lovelace.
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