Cecilia Nasmith, Northumberland Today
COLBORNE — Even if you can't make it to Tuscany this year, you can visit it through the art of six friends who did, thanks to the summer exhibit at the Colborne Art Gallery.
Susan Dain, Phyllis Gordon, Marcia Lantagne, Rena Sava, Patricia Singer and Karen Walker were friends who held weekly life-drawing session for years. One day, Singer presented the opportunity for the women to share a villa in Romito, Italy, for three weeks, and they jumped at the chance.
The place was a little more run-down than Singer had remembered it, but proved an excellent base from which to visit historic buildings, marvel at homes of coloured stucco, explore country roads and Tuscan cities, enjoy the landscapes of cypress trees and olive groves, breathe in the Tuscan air and savour the feasts of local delicacies and wine. The women painted, sketched, pho-tographed, cooked and enjoyed each other's company.
"We had lovely days painting and, when we returned to Canada, we each dealt with the work in our own ways — one with pastels, one is a printmaker, some with oil paints and so on," Singer said.
The art they produced — whether created in Tuscany or inspired by the memories — will be displayed and on sale at the Colborne Art Gallery from June 2 through July 8. The opening reception takes place June 2 from 2 to 4 p.m., and the show runs through July 8. The gallery is located at 51 King St. E., Colborne, and hours are noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. For more information, call 905-355-1798 or visit www.thecolbomegallery.ca.