Keppel Croft Gardens
Visit beautiful Keppel Croft Gardens in Grey County, Ontario.
Art in the Garden, 2011
Art in the Garden is an annual event at Keppel Croft Gardens, held on the second Saturday in July. This year Art in the Garden will be held on Saturday, July 9th. Sunday July 10th is the rain date.
Keppel Croft Gardens are open from 10 am to 4 pm on this day. The entrance fee is $3. Parking is available at Keppel Croft, along the south side of Island View Drive at Big Bay, or at the Big Bay beach. Keppel Croft is located at 504156 Grey Road #1 (Island View Drive) near Big Bay.
Local artists and craftspeople will be situated throughout the gardens with their creations for viewing and for sale. Art in the Garden is a splendid opportunity for you to meet and chat with our talented neighbours and friends. This will be the seventeenth year we have hosted Art in the Garden.
Pottery
One of the original participants in Art in the Garden was Steve Irvine. He is a very well known potter who lives in Big Bay. His pottery reflects his intense interest in form, shape and colour. Look for Steve under the big crab apple tree near the patio. Jane Macintosh is another potter and she will have her work displayed under one of the old apple trees near the entrance to the gardens. Jane's uses Chinese brush techniques in the decoration of her platters, jugs, mugs and vases. Pam McCowan, who lives in Big Bay, sculpts figures from clay which are then fired.
Steve Irvine was one of the original participants in Art in the Garden.
Jewellery
This year there will be several jewellery makers attending, including Joan Irvine, Susan Sparks, and Chris Piekney and Pam McCowan. Barbara Hehmer specializes in jewellery made from buttons.
Paintings
Numerous artists will have their paintings on display. In the Circle Garden you will find a covey of Owen Sound artists, cheerfully sharing their work. Many visitors have already been to exhibits at the Bridge Gallery of James Callaghan and Eleanor Pauling. Other painters include Beryl Dawson, Terry Burns, Dennis Goddard (who is also a calligrapher), Bonnie Goudie, Pam McCowan, Carole and Ian Martin, Irwin and Sue Seidman, Donna and John Stares, and Jean Watson.
Furniture for Your Garden and Porch
Handmade furniture can be found at Keith and Sarah Elliott`s spot in the garden. This year Mike Snow can be found displaying his one of a kind tiles with Keith's woodwork. Come and see how they have combined their talents. Sarah and keith's grandgirls are joining them this year with their jewellery creations.
Master Basket Weavers
Tony and Donna Pasman are favourites of visitors to Art in the Garden. Tony and Donna both demonstrate their basket weaving skills throughout the day. You can enjoy chatting with them about the ancient craft they enjoy. They will remind you that even in this age of technology, all baskets throughout the world are still handmade! Their grandchildren are often helping out. Simon Chambers will be sharing his recent photographs in his usual spot by the basket makers, his in-laws!
Donna Pasman displays some of her many baskets.
Art for Your Garden
Sue and Rob Thomas deliver their wrought iron garden art for Art in the Garden on the day before because there are so many pieces to arrange on the lawns. You`ll enjoy viewing the numerous pieces in a garden setting. Jim Collins will have his cedar garden art for sale.
Our summer neighbour and friend, Camie Geary-Martin, will have her sculptures on display near the patio. Camie produces hauntingly beautiful pieces in bronze.
...And Glass, Weaving, Cards, Mixed Media and Drawings
Georgia Helleiner creates a beautiful array of cards made with pressed flowers. Paul Smutylo will have his portraits and drawings on display. Casey Smutylo and Susan Sparks will have weaving, jewellery, and multi-media. Rhichard Devrieze will also have his weaving for sale. He plans to bring his spinning wheel to make goos use of spare time in the garden!
Plants, of course!
You will be able chat about almost any kind of plant with Franzis Leiss of Living Carpet Gardens. Franzis will have her locally grown plants for sale. Bill will also have plants from Keppel Croft Gardens foe sale. Perennials from Wild Things Plant Farm will also be available. If you have questions about plants or aspects of plant cultivation there will be representatives of the Master Gardeners willing to provide answers.
Franzis and Joerg Leiss, astonishingly knowledgeable plants people, own Living Carpet Gardens, just north of the village of Colpoys.
50 Mile Food
This year we have invited several local producers to Art in the Garden. Bob and MaryBeth Gray are local maple syrup producers on Kemble Mountain. They will have this season`s syrup and maple butter for sale. Our neighbour, Gary Eden, will bring his freshly baked bread. You may have met Gary at the Wiarton Farmers' Market. His bread is baked in an outdoor clay oven. Lori Bumstead will be bringing local honey and beeswax candles. You may have met her at the Wiarton Farmers' Market, too.
Music in the Gardens
Doug and Wendy Pullen of Bach to Beetles fame will be providing background music in the garden this year. They will have CDs of their music available. Relax to their music under the trees by our patio.
Our Wonderful Volunteers!
A special thanks to our wonderful volunteers, almost too numerous to mention by name! Our volunteers are the ones who knit the fabric of Art in the Garden together. Before the day arrives they help us by making gardens presentable, mowing the lawns and creating the duty lists for gate keepers and traffic wardens. They smoke the lunchtime BBQ sausages, bake the cookies, and do anything else that comes up.
On the day itself, the artists are helped by early morning volunteers. All the garden guests are greeted by cheerful folk at the entrances, who invite people to fill out the entries for the gate prize. In the kitchen, a crew of volunteers helps prepare the food and drinks for the morning and afternoon treats for the artists. The lunch crew serves with a flourish and good humour. Our youngest volunteer is Sadie, at 5 years, and our oldest is Auntie Alice, at 94! Very special thanks to Brenda and Mike Snow, and Keith and Sarah Elliott, Vic and Peggy Ptasznik, as well as Mary and Jerry Green.
Anya and Adea take treats to the artists in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
Ice Creams and Skipping Stones
After your visit to Art in the Garden make sure you drop in at the Big Bay General Store. Pat and Bob Carriere are famous as makers of Big Bay's homemade ice cream. Wander down to the Big Bay beach and try your hand at skipping stones at the home base of Canada's Stone Skipping Championship!
Site Revisions made - June, 2011
