In the two decades since it was launched, the Camano Island Studio Tour has grown into a five-day, two-weekend event.
This year, 32 studios and galleries are participating, showing just about every type of art imaginable, including jewelry, woodworking, photography, sculpture, fabric art, pottery, glass, watercolor, acrylic and pastels.
“It has just grown into this huge event, once a year,” said Karla Matzke, a co-founder of the tour now celebrating its 20th year.
Some 3,500 people have come to Stanwood and Camano Island in recent years to see the art and watch artists at work.
The annual tour doesn’t just benefit participating artists. Stores, restaurants and other businesses in Stanwood and on Camano Island also see a surge in sales, Matzke said.
It’s a chance to see two blown glass artists at work — Mark Ellinger and Stan O’Neil — and woodworking artist Russ Riddle, whose “Tree of Harmony” won first place in the three-dimensional category in the Schack Art Center’s Juried Art Show earlier this year.
This cabinet with marquetry by Russ Riddle was made from curly maple, African sapele, walnut and African pink ivory wood. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)
Riddle grew up in the Los Angeles area. He said he “played around” with woodworking as a kid but grew more interested in it as he learned some of the craft from his father and from a woodworking class in junior high school.
Riddle said he became more drawn to the artistic and creative forms of woodworking after moving to Camano Island in 1998, where fellow artists provided encouragement.
He began with marquetry, or inlay work, making a design using pieces of wood.
The inspiration for many of his pieces comes from things he observes, such as the influence of a trip to China reflected in a series of tables that a Japanese businessman told him reminded him of home.
Or seeing the leaves of nearby ginkgo trees turn golden in the fall and having their shapes incorporated into a table where they appear to be floating downstream.
Wood often grows in unusual ways. Riddle said he tries to find ways to include these unusual patterns, called figures, in his work.
Sometimes, it’s a wave pattern, which when exposed to light, appears to be 3-D, he said.
Entry table by woodworker Russ Riddle. (Andy Bronson / The Herald)
“It’s fun to use the different patterns and textures you get with wood,” Riddle said.
Matzke, the tour’s co-founder, operates a 3,000-square-foot gallery and 10-acre sculpture park on the southern part of the island.
The gallery will display the works of 20 artists inside and about 50 outside during the tour.
Matzke said Camano Island’s reputation as a creative center dates to the early years of the 20th century, when artists, writers and musicians began moving there.
Even if people have come to previous tours, the artists are always trying something new, she said.
Glass artist Mark Ellinger is one example. Long known for his work on Glass Quest, the annual hunt for clues to find artistic glass balls, he recently tried a new series of hot sculpted owls and hummingbirds, she said.
And there’s enough to do on Camano Island to experience a full day of activities — including hikes, restaurants and a state park, Matzke said.
“It’s a fun getaway for the day,” she said.
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.
If you go
The Camano Island Studio Tour kicks off on Friday and continues through Mother’s Day weekend. It resumes for a second weekend May 19-20. The hours each day is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There’s no charge to go on the tour. Download a map of the studio sites and find more information at camanostudiotour.com.
Tour tips
Look for signs: Each studio is designated with a number on the Camano Arts Association map. Signs saying “CAA Studio Tour” point the way to each location.
Pick your day: Some people like to go the first day, others like to wait until the second weekend when it might be a little less crowded.
Map your strategy: Figure out which artists and galleries you really want to see. The galleries are spread throughout the nearly 40-square-mile island, so travel times from one studio to the next vary. If the crowds seem a little large at one studio, drive to another and then circle back.
Add to the day’s agenda: Consider including some time to see the area as well, taking in one of the nearby beaches, parks or restaurants.
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