On October 4 and 5, 36 studios, galleries and private homes throughout Milton and the surrounding countryside will welcome an anticipated steady flow of patrons between 10 a. m. and 5 p. m. each day.

Fifty-seven artists, representing a myriad of styles and media, will be featured in one of the largest studio tours in the province.

Granted the work of the participants is for sale, but the artists no doubt would be the first to emphasize that the weekend is about more than selling; it’s about promotion, education and awareness. The tour offers a casual, informal introduction to individual styles, techniques, working spaces and tools, and of course, inspirations. The artists enjoy shoppers and browsers alike.

“We have artists hiding in the hills out here,” says sculptor Nancy Cuttle, president of Arts Milton and publicity chair for the Fine Arts Society of Milton (FASM), which presents the annual event.

“We have some new artists every year. It’s always fresh; never totally the same.”

The tour winds its way through Acton, Campbellville, Lowville, Carlisle and Limehouse, but even with two days, it’s impossible to visit every venue, said Cuttle.”Some of the artists are banding together to help people with travel.”

Visitors tend to have their own tour strategies; perhaps cherrypicking the art they most enjoy or choosing a different geographical area from the previous year, or simply following the map on the brochure.

All work is original and is chosen through a FASM selection process to maintain very high standards, said Cuttle.

A first time studio tour participant, fibre artist Kathy Tyers was an avid supporter of the tour before joining it. Having worked with fabric and thread all her life, she began experimenting with fibres and other media using leftover supplies she found in her cupboards.

“Fibre art is fairly new. Some people come to it from quilting, some from bead-work or hand stitching. The tour is great exposure for this medium. A lot of people don’t understand how flexible the medium is.”

Painter and illustrator Jenny Panda will mark her fifth year on the tour with a display at Martindale Gardens, having shown in a blacksmith shop and private homes in the past. A former primary school teacher who has lived in Milton for 30 years, Panda enjoys seeing old friends and former students.

“You can walk around or drive around; it’s really a nice thing to do,” a lovely way to spend the weekend, she says. The only unfortunate thing about being a participant is that she can’t view her fellow artists’ work, she adds.

Panda’s son Jason, a photographer and mixed media artist, will make his tour debut at Martindale Gardens as well.

“Since graduating from university, most of my work has been for a client or proof of concept for lessons at school,” says the visual arts department head. “While I have tried to develop my own portfolio it’s been difficult as my attention is usually in other places.”

Being able to create and show outside of the corporate and classroom setting drew Jason to the tour.

Quirky, rustic scenes from Ontario to the east coast capture the imagination of Grant Rushton and will comprise the bulk of his display, although he will also feature his portrait photography.

“I’m hoping to get into non-commission work. It’s a new avenue of photography for me and I’m just testing the waters,” says Rushton, owner of Front Porch Studios.