MOST Profile: Inspiration unleashed

Waterloo Region women looking for inspiration to unleash their inner artistic spirit-- whether it's putting paint to canvas, sitting behind a potter's wheel or training the camera lens on a budding rose - need look no further than their own back yard to find opportunities. The Elora Centre for the Arts, Linda Bester Studios and The Southampton Art School offer a variety of courses for women to answer the call to creativity.



Elora Centre for the Arts
Closest to home is the Elora Centre for the Arts. Housed in an historic former school house in the downtown area of the picturesque town, the Centre has undergone extensive restoration and renovation to bring it to modern standards, while keeping its historical attributes. Ambience alone is enough to get the budding artist's creative juices flowing, suggests Elora Centre's General Manager, Arlene Saunders. The 14-foot tin ceilings, the massive windows, channeling a welcome artist's light, and softly-worn hardwood floors evoke a special atmosphere. "We consider the Centre a home where art is," Saunders says, fondly. In keeping with the "home" motif, a number of professional area artists keep their studios at the Centre. Saunders says they're often willing to open their doors, and their creative insights to students and visitors.
Year-round classes target a wide range of interests and skills--from beginner to expert. The Elora Centre offers classes in pottery, photography, painting and sketching to name only a few. One of the newer and most popular classes is Tai Chi and Oriental Brush Stroke. Elora's Photography classes, with professional photographer Sylvia Galbraith also fill up quickly. Galbraith offers instruction in wedding, sports, wildflower and landscape photography. Practical How-To's--How to Start a Studio Practice, and How to Stretch a Canvas are also proven winners.
Saunders notes that The Centre draws its students from an eclectic demographic: mothers needing a creative time away from a young family; empty nesters filling time; or a group of friends using a course as excuse to get together. They'll often combine class with having lunch at one of Elora's many fine restaurants, or doing some shopping.  
Recognizing the need that some individuals have for space rather than formal instruction, The Centre also offers unstructured studio time. "People who just want a place to create without the phone ringing or from the other interruptions they'd get at home, regularly come to the Studio," Saunders says. Judy French of Elora enjoys her Monday evening studio time, as much for the camaraderie and fellowship with fellow painters as with the work she gets done. "I have a small art studio at home, but I'll find lots of excuses do something else instead of painting-especially if I'm having a problem with it." Seeing fellow painters at work inspires her. She finds the comments and critiques she receives from peers also helpful in "getting around a painter's block."

The Bester Studios
Former K-W resident, artist Linda Bester says as soon as visitors start up the wooded winding driveway to her home and artist's retreat, they're enveloped in the serenity of nature. Since 2002, Bester and her husband Gary have been welcoming guests with a creative bent to Bester Studios, their 32-acre property, a 10 minute drive from Owen Sound. A variety of woodland creatures, including deer make their home in the Bester woods and regularly come close to the house for a visit. The Bester's spring-fed pond attracts ducks, birds and other water-loving animals. Several comfortable Muskoka chair invite visitors to sit and watch for a spell. Who knows what inspiration will occur?
"Whether our guests want to paint, sketch, write, take yoga classes, hike in the woods or just enjoy the serenity of nature we provides a tranquil setting and inspiration for them to do this," Bester says.
Four guest bedrooms allow a maximum of 8 guests at one time. Guests are encouraged to use the spa and hot tub or sit in the airy solarium. And to make the occasion even more attractive, Linda and Gary Bester do all the cooking!
While Bester Studios welcomes guests of both sexes, the majority are females.   
"We get a lot of mother-daughters, girlfriends, school chums and co-workers," she says. Bester recalls the recent visit of 8 female architectural students from the University of Waterloo. Their "girl's weekend" was an opportunity to indulge in their shared love of nature and yoga in a retreat setting. Bester facilitated a local yoga teacher coming to give private classes to the women. Fine weather at the occasion of their visit enticed them to hike the Bruce Trail. A welcoming hot tub and spa soothed tired muscles after a day on the trail.
Other visitors are drawn to Bester Studios by the hostess herself. Bester, an accomplished and celebrated water colourist, who is also an instructor at the Southampton Art School  is often called on to hold private art classes in her large airy studio.  Budding, "born-again" and accomplished artists are invited to use Bester's studio unsupervised.
With a friend, Christine Pearson booked two nights at Bester Studios after taking a 1-day water colour class from Bester at the Southampton Art School. She is glowing in her review of the Bester Studio experience. "What a wonderful and memorable experience it was to immerse ourselves in a day of painting and learning from a master of light and movement in water colours," she compliments. "This was on top of the warm hospitality, the beautiful fall colours at a country retreat, watching deer on the lawn and the geese and ducks marching in line as they went about their daily routine." Her friend, K-W resident Jo Ann Hayter concurs: The guest studio complete with a wonderful wood-fired stove and amazing light inspired us to paint and the hours just flew.
Nothing brings Linda Bester more pleasure than getting a letter from a visitor to Bester Studio informing her that they have painted their first picture, written their first poem or taken their first nature photograph after a visit to her home. "People voice how valuable their experience has been just by staying here." She goes on to give the example of a guest who had shared the creative process she experienced at Bester Studios with her daughter. "What she shared with her daughter eventually inspired the daughter to write her first novel."  Bester says that knowing that she has been the creative facilitator of such an accomplishment is hugely rewarding.

Southampton School of Art
A half hour's drive west of Linda and Gary Bester's scenic retreat is the pretty shoreline town of Southampton. Home to fine restaurants, charming bed and breakfasts and the self-proclaimed "prettiest sunsets in the world," Southampton also boasts one of the most-celebrated art schools. Founded in 1957, the Southampton Art School was doomed to close in 1965 before the town's service clubs pledged to keep it financially afloat. Fifty two years later, Southampton Art School welcomes 900 students to a wide selection of classes, taught year round.
Southampton's Art School's Director Megan Clouatre sees the caliber of the teaching staff, numbering around 75 as the primary reason for the School's continuing success. "Southampton has the reputation of bringing in top artists from across Ontario and occasionally further abroad, to teach ourclasses," she says. Clouatre notes too that many instructors remain on staff year after year.
Southampton offers an eclectic array of course offerings including: Sculpture, Textiles, Oil and Acrylic Painting, Drawing, Jewellery-Making and Silk-painting. Classes run from March to November and are capped at 12 students. "This ensures that students get lots of one-on-one teacher time," Clouatre says. During fall and spring seasons, weekend, night and single day classes predominate. During the busy summer season, many 5-day courses are offered. Some fill long before the first day of class.
"Painting in Water Colours" repeatedly proves to be one of Southampton's most popular course offerings. New Dundee artist, Marion Anderson is a long-time Southampton instructor and her classes always fill early, says Clouatre. Print-making is also a draw, being uniquely taught at the School. A popular new offering in August 2009 is a "Creative Wellness Week" which targets a holistic approach to health and happiness. It includes classes on mandala drawing, writing, sculpting and music.
The proximity of the School to Lake Huron figures prominently in its summertime appeal. "The fact that we are a beach town, and a cottage town draws many of our students from points distant," Clouatre states. "People will rent a cottage, stay in a B and B or camp while they're taking a class or two. It makes a perfect vacation for some families-mom, dad and kids."   
Women make up 75% of Southampton's registered students. Many are retired or semi-retired although summer sees many younger women enroll. Expertise level ranges from the working artist, to the weekend dabbler, to the "never painted or sketched in my life before but want to learn" type. Clouatre remarks that sometimes adult students enroll after signing up their kids for classes. "They intrigued by the thought of doing something they've wanted to do for a long time, and decide to take a class or two themselves while their kids are there."
Registered Nurse Donna Welton of Owen Sound regularly takes courses as the Art School as a break from the stresses of her job. Artist Donna is my alter ego of Nurse Donna," she laughs. At Southampton Art School my creative processes flow-something that doesn't happen at work." An early May weekend saw her at the School enrolled in an Open Print-Making class. With 8 in the instructorless class, students learned the ancient art of printmaking from each other. "I love the atmosphere that you always feel here," Welton says, "and with small classes, you feel encouraged to share your successes and your failures with each other openly."
Whether the setting is historic Elora, the idyllic surroundings of The Bester Studios or the lure of the water at Southampton Art School, art and creativity are alive and thriving in South Central Ontario.

For more information on the Southampton Art School go to: www.theartschool.org
On Bester Studios: www.besterstudios.com
The Elora Centre for the Arts: www.eloracentreforthearts.ca  n



By Nancy Silcox