Jennie de Mello e Souza will display works such as “Citrus Hare,” a watercolor and ink during the Edmonds Art Studio Tour Sept. 16 and 17.

Jennie de Mello e Souza will display works such as “Citrus Hare,” a watercolor and ink during the Edmonds Art Studio Tour Sept. 16 and 17.

Edmonds Art Studio Tour connects artists with art lovers

EDMONDS — Jennifer Grimm de Mello e Souza looks forward to the annual Edmonds Art Studio Tour as a way to connect with art lovers.

The Edmonds artist stays busy as a painter, teacher, student and the mother of a middle schooler and a college freshman.

“My favorite thing in the world is to paint, so I am in my studio whenever I have free time,” said Jennie, as she is known best. “Because I work in isolation so often, there’s nothing better than having people over so I can share what I’ve been working on.”

During the tour — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 16 and 17 — Jennie also will host potter Julie Perrine and Meadowdale High School artist Hana Berisha, a junior, who plan to display their work as well.

“I have a separate entrance to my studio. It’s a great little space that I wish could open to the public more than once a year,” Jennie said. “The tour is a homegrown, volunteer event that I just love being a part of. Last year the number of visitors I had doubled to 300 from 150 the year before. It’s becoming quite popular.”

This 12th annual free, self-guided tour offers a chance to visit 18 private studios displaying the work of 31 artists.

Art patrons can watch artists at work, see new and in-progress pieces and buy art directly from the artists.

The art to be displayed this year includes paintings, sculptures, jewelry, wood pieces, glasswork and pottery.

Jennie always has a couple of paintings to work on during the tour, but she frequently spends most of her time talking with her visitors.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in art history and studio art in 1992 from a small college in Pennsylvania, she went on to study scientific illustration in Brazil and France. At some point, while raising her family, Jennie decided she was an artist (period!) and that painting was not just a hobby.

“Women and young people often have trouble claiming that for themselves,” she said. “Art is my vocation. And, yes, it is my passion. It feeds my soul. Painting gives me peace and joy, even in difficult times.”

Currently in the process of earning her master’s degree in art education through Western Washington University, Jennie enjoys talking about art and about art education in public schools. Instead of just STEM, Jennie would like to schools offer STEAM programs — science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

With the help of an Edmonds Arts Festival grant, she developed a studio art curriculum based on art history and science for young students, and has been a volunteer art teacher in public and private schools in Edmonds, Anacortes and Bellingham.

Her studio is located at 1030 B Ave. S., Edmonds. Not a bad place to start.

After the tour, Jennie’s work can be found in the gift shop at Cascadia Art Museum or by visiting her website www.jenniedemelloesouza.com.

Edmonds Art Studio Tour

The tour is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 16 and 17. The tour’s mobile-friendly website — www.edmondsartstudiotour.com — lists the participating artists, gives a preview of their work and offers a map of the studios.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Photo courtesy of Graphite Arts Center
Amelia DiGiano’s photography is part of the “Seeing Our Planet” exhibit, which opens Friday and runs through Aug. 9 at the Graphite Arts Center in Edmonds.
A&E Calendar for July 10

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Snohomish County Dahlia Society members Doug Symonds and Alysia Obina on Monday, March 3, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
How to grow for show: 10 tips for prize-winning dahlias

Snohomish County Dahlia Society members share how they tend to their gardens for the best blooms.

What’s Up columnist Andrea Brown with a selection of black and white glossy promotional photos on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Free celeb photos! Dig into The Herald’s Hollywood time capsule

John Wayne, Travolta, Golden Girls and hundreds more B&W glossies are up for grabs at August pop-up.

The 2025 Audi A3 premium compact sedan (Provided by Audi).
2025 Audi A3 upgradesdesign and performance

The premium compact sedan looks sportier, acts that way, too.

Edmonds announces summer concert lineup

The Edmonds Arts Commission is hosting 20 shows from July 8 to Aug. 24, featuring a range of music styles from across the Puget Sound region.

Big Bend Photo Provided By Ford Media
2025 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend Increases Off-Road Capability

Mountain Loop Highway Was No Match For Bronco

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Mustang Convertible Photo Provided By Ford Media Center
Ford’s 2024 Ford Mustang Convertible Revives The Past

Iconic Sports Car Re-Introduced To Wow Masses

Kim Crane talks about a handful of origami items on display inside her showroom on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Crease is the word: Origami fans flock to online paper store

Kim’s Crane in Snohomish has been supplying paper crafters with paper, books and kits since 1995.

The 2025 Nissan Murano midsize SUV has two rows of seats and a five-passenger capacity. (Photo provided by Nissan)
2025 Nissan Murano is a whole new machine

A total redesign introduces the fourth generation of this elegant midsize SUV.

A woman flips through a book at the Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Pop some tags at Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley

$20 buys an outfit, a unicycle — or a little Macklemore magic. Sales support the food bank.

Two visitors comb the beach at Kayak Point Regional County Park on Friday, June 14, 2024, in Tulalip, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Nate Nehring and WSU Beach Watchers to host beach cleanup at Kayak Point

Children and families are especially encouraged to attend the event at Kayak Point Regional County Park.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.