A beautiful autumn Sunday. An open road. Nova Scotia’s spectacular coastline. Several leisurely hours with my sister. Dozens of artists eager to welcome us to their studios and shops. A good, old-fashioned Sunday drive with a modern twist! What could be better than this?
It was the Surfside Studio Tour, an annual event designed to showcase the skilled artists and artisans along Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore. 2025 marks the seventh year of this artist-founded and volunteer-managed event.
It was a self-guided tour so visitors were provided with the information needed to easily navigate from studio to studio. A detailed map showing the suggested driving route, along with GPS-friendly addresses for all the stops, was posted online and available on the tour. Directional signs were posted along the route to point visitors to the appropriate locations. Congrats to the Tour organizers for a very well-organized event!
This year’s distinctive branding was courtesy of Geoffrey Gibson, “an illustrator, designer, painter, and surfer with a deep love for the ocean and the woods” according to the Tour’s website.
The Surfside Studio Tour included 15 stops showcasing 31 artists and artisans from a variety of disciplines. Artist profiles along with examples of their work are available on the Tour website. But here’s a look at some of the splendid artwork I had the opportunity to admire in person.
Fused Glass Art by Mona Bordage.
Linocut printing by Erin Hollingshead of E Hollingshead Artwork.
Illustrations by Sarah Christie of SC Illustrations.
Mixed media painting by Nadia Power of NTS Art.
Block and screen-printed textiles by Alissa Kloet of Keephouse.
Jewellery by Shelley Foster.
Jewellery by Allison Thorne of Freebird Jewellery.
Pottery by Karyn Hollasch of Muddy Squirrel Studios.
Stoneware pottery by Gloria Dunbar of Dunbar Ceramics.
Artisan wood by Stephen Parsons of Chez Craft Artisan Creations.
Small batch apothecary by Juel Maerz of Seaforth Apothecary.
Dried flower bouquet and candles by Tanyse Beckett of Grown by the Gardener.
Wood and resin art by Mary Jefferson of Sand & Surf.
The primary attraction of a studio tour is, of course, the artists’ studios. Visitors have the opportunity to see where the artist works, how they organize their workspace and with what they surround themselves. Here is a glimpse into a few of the artists’ studios.
Tucked into the forest behind her home is Nadia Power’s art studio. As noted on the Tour website, “She is inspired by the wildflowers and landscape that surrounds her home in Lawrencetown, which influence her work in oil and acrylic paintings. Nature is a large component of Nadia’s resin and copper jewelry, which incorporates dried flowers and greenery that she collects, along with semi-precious stones.”
Krista Stacey’s studio/shop ― Gypsea Cottage ― overlooks the ocean. Here she explores her “creative pursuits [which] include painting, soap making, salt water alchemy and woodworking”.
The ocean view is impossible to miss at Mona Bordage’s studio. “Mona is a painter and glass artist … Nature’s incredible resilience and diversity brings her inspiration in colour, design and form” as stated in her profile on the Tour website.
Surfside Studio Tour guests also had an opportunity to view demonstrations and experience hands-on artwork. Liana Field of Rawkette Custom, for instance, invited guests to try hand stamping metal. It was great fun!
At the same stop, Sara Van Mulligen of SVM Creative Vision took the time to demonstrate gel printmaking.
At Gypsea Cottage, Krista Stacey invited visitors to experiment with natural watercolours. These remarkable paints are made by Beam Paints, an Indigenous company which operates from their family workshops in M’Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, Ontario.
I’ve only dabbled in watercolour painting but, even with my limited experience, I could tell these watercolour paints are amazing ― the colors are exceptionally vibrant and the paint flows and blends effortlessly!
At Fog Bank Merch, visitors were offered an option to “build your own tee”. We were able to select one of five designs and a T-shirt in our choice of color and size. Then, we were able to watch as Alex Copp screen printed our one-of-a-kind T-shirts.
I chose the “Nurture Nature” design on a denim blue, tie-dyed T-shirt. It will be the perfect reminder of our art-inspired Sunday drive along the Surfside Studio Tour.
More Info
Participating in art and studio tours is one of my favorite pastimes. As a result, I’ve posted about this subject a few times:
. Peeking Behind the Studio Curtain is a recounting of the Henderson County Open Studio Tour which I had the pleasure to visit in North Carolina a few years ago.
. An Art Road Trip in the Georgia Mountains explains how nature and art were showcased in the semiannual Northeast Georgia Arts Tour.
“Surfside Studio Tour is a free, self-guided tour of artist and artisan studios. The tour is located just outside of Halifax/Dartmouth on the scenic Eastern Shore, along Nova Scotia’s Highway 207, through the communities of Lawrencetown, East and West Lawrencetown, Three Fathom Harbour, Seaforth, Grand Desert, and West Chezzetcook” states the Tour’s website. Hats off to the organizers, artists, artisans and volunteers who made this a great art experience! You can learn more about this outstanding event on the Surfside Studio Tour website or Instagram.
The 2025 Surfside Studio Tour showcased 31 artists and artisans. Check the participating artist profiles on the Tour’s website to learn about all of them. This blog post shows work by the following:
. Geoffrey Gibson ― see more of their illustrations and paintings on Instagram or their website
. Mona Bordage ― see more of their paintings and glass work on Instagram
. Erin Hollingshead of E Hollingshead Artwork ― see more of their linocut prints, oil and acrylic paintings on Etsy
. Sarah Christie of SC Illustrations ― see more of their watercolor and ink illustrations on Instagram
. Nadia Power of NTS Art ― see more of their fine art paintings and jewellery on Instagram
. Alissa Kloet of Keephouse ― see more of their block and screen-printed textiles on Instagram or their website
. Shelley Foster ― jewellery
. Jewellery by Allison Thorne of Freebird Jewellery ― see more of their jewellery on Instagram or their website
. Karyn Hollasch of Muddy Squirrel Studios ― see more of their pottery on Instagram
. Gloria Dunbar of Dunbar Ceramics ― see more of their stoneware pottery on Facebook
. Stephen Parsons of Chez Craft Artisan Creations ― see more of their artisan wood on their website
. Juel Maerz of Seaforth Apothecary ― see more of their small batch apothecary on Instagram
. Tanyse Beckett of Grown by the Gardener ― see more of their flower farm and floral design on Instagram or their website
. Mary Jefferson of Sand & Surf ― see more of their wood and resin art and upcycled flannels on Instagram
. Liana Field of Rawkette Custom ― see more of their hand-stamped metal work on Instagram or Etsy
. Sara Van Mulligen of SVM Creative Vision ― see more of their gel print art products, candles, and botanicals on Instagram
. Krista Stacey of Gypsea Cottage ― see more of their watercolors and essential oil products on Instagram
. Krista Lowe and Alex Copp of Fog Bank Merch ― see more of their block, screen and digital prints on paper and apparel on Instagram or their website.
To learn more about Beam Paints and their incredible natural watercolours, see their website or Instagram. As noted on their website, “lightfast pigments, gum arabic, and Manitoulin maple sap blend together to create a handmade saturated colour that is a joy to paint with. Our watercolours are shaped into paintstones, our version of a half-pan, before being wrapped in beeswaxed cloth”. Beam Paints pride themselves on “plastic free packaging … our pans are packaged in slices of cedar and birch offcuts” or repurposed shells from a food factory.
Today’s Takeaways
1. “Nature’s incredible resilience and diversity brings her inspiration in colour, design and form.” Mona Bordage profile on Surfside Studio Tour website.
2. Consider getting to know and supporting your local artist community.
3. Incorporate an art tour for a new twist on an old-fashioned Sunday drive.
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