Nova Scotia Beckons: Lobster, Lighthouses and Lithographs.

Culinary and Artistic Rambles in Nova Scotia

Somewhere between the lobster corn chowder and the pan seared Digby scallops, I started to speculate about what it would be like to live here. By the time I got to the lemon tart and fresh raspberries, I was discussing with my dinner companion the logistics of selling my home and moving here.

Parts of Nova Scotia have that effect on visitors.

I was comfortably settled in a corner table of Tempest, a fine restaurant on the corner of Front Street and Central in Wolfville.

As we finished our main course, we watched the lawyer in his office across the street put on his suit jacket, hoist his briefcase and set out on his walk home. It wasn’t just the sight of a lawyer who still wore a shirt and tie, or a lawyer who walked home from work that was intriguing. I could imagine dinner waiting for him in a high ceilinged dining room in one of the large clapboard homes, maybe one painted white or pale yellow or blue, like the ones we had seen in the centre of town.

Others walked by – exercising their dogs, completing errands, just walking for pleasure as the sun turned the historic Acadian dykes to pink and gold.

The scene was a graphic explanation of why so many artists have either been inspired here, or have migrated here. Nova Scotia has become a Mecca for the artistic spirit, and in that process, has developed into an art lover’s destination as well.

Artists are notoriously retiring in nature, however, and finding them can be a challenge. The Studio Map, a year-round guide to Arts & Craft in Nova Scotia, is the answer. Originally created as part of the annual Studio Rally Weekend, a two day celebration of art held each spring when all the artists open their doors to the public, it has evolved into a useful year-round guide and the art lover’s best friend.

Through the Guide, I found artists who worked in every media, from watercolour, oil and graphite, to glass, clay and wood. The map/guide is an inspired pairing of the descriptions of the art work and the location of the artists of Nova Scotia with the several driving routes that the province has developed in their Doers’ & Dreamers’ guide. With a copy of each guide in hand, a visitor can discover the heart of Acadian culture, as well as the best places to stay and dine.

The Studio Map's directions to the homes of artists whose work is for sale are detailed, and often quirky. For example, visitors are led to Kathryn Gordon’s studio with directions like these: “At the Huey Lake/Mount Pleasant sign, turn left between the red barn and the white church. The studio is the fish shack at the very end of the lane.” Gordon transforms glass into one-of-a-kind beads that she fashions into wearable art in her ‘fish shack’ studio in Lahave.

The Studio Map brought me to The Tangled Garden in Grand Pre and to Beverley McClare who was one of the co-founders of the map. Actually, I had already fallen in love with McClare’s jams and jellies at the One of a Kind craft show in Toronto. I remembered them not just because the products were delicious, but also because they bore labels with a reproduction of a George Walford watercolour painting and were enclosed in wooden gift boxes painted in soft greens and blues.

The Tangled Garden is in fact a real garden, a living piece of installation art that visitors can walk through, ideally with a bowl of McClare’s freshly made lavender ice cream in hand. Her sculptures are a whimsical surprise along the garden paths. The cottage-like store displays her mustards, vinegars, flavoured oils and jellies as if they were works of art. On the top floor is George Walford’s studio, where he displays the large mixed media paintings he is doing right now, complex explorations of texture and colour. Formally trained at the Luton Art School in England, he fell in love with Nova Scotia some thirty years ago, and is still finding his artistic inspiration here

On the Lighthouse Route, I found the Mariner King Inn in Lunenburg, and enjoyed a bowl of green olive tuscan soup with shrimp and scallops at the highly rated Fleur de Sel Restaurant, before I hit the art trail. The Studio Map took me this time to Joan Bruneau’s pottery shop – it is one of her vases that was chosen as the cover art for one of the Art Rally posters. Then I walked to Bradford Naugler’s folk art studio.

In nearby Chester, a picture perfect coastal town, I visited Chez Glass Lass, where Sharon Mcnamara and Paul Palango create fused glass dinnerware settings that are now collectibles, and the studio of Jose Valverde, a transplanted Spanish painter.

Right now is the perfect time to visit Nova Scotia but the Fall is also a good time. In the Fall, the many trails of the province are much quieter, hotel rates are lower, the weather is surprisingly mild, and most of the artists are busily working on their next creation. While many of the galleries and studios are open daily, a phone call to any of the artists will open the door for you, especially if you are in a buying mood.

Adriane Abbott, co-founder,with Beverley McClare, of the Studio Rally and Map, describes the guide as a ‘catalogue of characters’. “The artists on this map are sociable and derive real pleasure from the interaction and feedback your visit provides.”

She has this advice for the art loving tourist: “Take the back roads and the far roads. Laugh a lot. Don’t get mad at the navigator; delight in the fact that you are seeing the same incredible view twice. Eat well. Visit the studios, enjoy the people, and if their work moves you, for heaven’s sake, shop!”

My last stop was the iconic Peggy’s Cove. On the patio of the only bed and breakfast in town I watched the sun set behind Canada’s best known lighthouse. It was clear why this is such an artsy island. Sky and boats and reflections in the water conspired to create a scene ready for pigment and canvas.

There is no lack of inspiration on this coastline.

If You Go

Studio Rally/Studio Map

Adriane Abbott

PO Box 41

Musquodoboit Harbour, N.S.

B0J 2L0

Tel: 902-827-7117

www.studiorally.ca – the website has the studio map complete with photographs and a short description of each artist’s work and contact information, or you can request a copy by mail.

Nova Scotia Department of Tourism & Culture

www.novascotia.com

tel: 1-800-565-0000

Ask for a copy of the 2009 Doers’ & Dreamers’ Guide. I found Tempest, and the comfortable Tattingstone Inn in Wolfville through the Doers’ & Dreamers’Guide issued by Nova Scotia Tourism. The publication, over four hundred pages long, is one of the best organized and most detailed driving guides I have discovered anywhere. It tells you about museums, places to stay and sites to see along several routes around the island province. In addition to the well known Evangeline Trail, there is the Lighthouse Route, the Cabot Trail, the Sunrise Trail and several others. It’s a practical and informative book.

Ten Tips for Better Vacation Photos From The Pros

TOP 10 TIPS FOR BETTER VACATION PHOTOS FROM TRAVEL WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

APRIL 21, 2009: The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), the world’s largest organization of professional travel journalists and photographers, recently polled its members to come up with the “Top 10” tips to help travelers take better vacation photos.

“With digital cameras, it has never been easier or cheaper to take top quality vacation photos,” states SATW president and broadcast travel journalist, Bea Broda. “However, there are still some things that travelers can do to help them come back with stunning images of their vacation,” she said.

Listed in order of votes with comments from SATW writers and photographers, the “Top 10” tips for better travel photos are:

1. Shoot photos early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the sun is overhead and the light is flat. Shooting in early morning and late afternoon will add more color and shadows to your photos, giving more definition to the subject.

“Although morning and late afternoon are considered the best light for making photographs, some exceptions apply. In the Caribbean, for instance, to capture the water at its most electric aquamarine, shoot the seascape from on high, preferably at noon.”-- Patricia Borns, maritime and travel writer/photographer

2. Move in close to your subject for impact (too far back and your photo can be too busy). Get close, and then get closer! Fill the frame with your subject.

“Use your camera to record details you would like to remember later such as street signs, place names and menus.” -- Shelly Steig, freelance writer and photographer

3. Don’t shoot every photo at eyelevel. Don’t be afraid to get low to the ground or climb up to get a better vantage point.

“Shooting a scene at other than eyelevel can add drama or perspective to an otherwise static setting. Even if you can’t peer through the lens, hold your camera overhead or at waist level and experiment.”-- David Swanson, freelance travel writer/photographer

Carry a rubber mouse pad in your camera bag. It will make it easier on your knees and clothing whenever you kneel down for a low camera angle.” -- Michele & Tom Grimm, photographers and authors

4. Pay attention to details and distractions in the back of the photo or behind the heads of your subjects. Frequently, a telephone pole or tree is sticking up behind your subject. Move around until there are fewer distractions in the background.

“Don’t rely on your zoom lens to compose your images. You have two feet. Move about for the best angle and composition.” -- Dennis Cox, travel photographer, director of Photo Explorer Tours

5. Shoot lots of photos and edit and erase at night. Digital space is cheap. Shoot in the highest res possible.

“Bracket your exposures and remember that if the light is low, you can increase your ISO (the equivalent of being able to change film speed) for every shot.”-- Catherine Watson, freelance travel writer

6. Always show a sense of place as to where you are. If in the tropics, frame the photo with palm trees; if in the mountains, frame it with pine trees.

“On cloudy, dreary days, try to include bright colors such as red (a person’s jacket, an umbrella, a sign) in the photo, since reds, oranges, yellows and fuchsias can make a washed-out rainy scene pop with liveliness.”-- Susan Farlow, freelance travel writer

7. Shoot important subjects from several different angles and vantage points and with different lens and at different exposures. Take an overall wide shot, a medium range shot and a close up detail shot. Check your photos on site to make sure you have your shot.

“When shooting with a slow shutter speed and no tripod, shoot three quick frames in a row, making a better chance one will come out sharp.” -- Michael Ventura, freelance travel photographer

“Remember to shoot verticals as well as horizontal shots. Verticals work best for covers or full single pages.” -- Susan Farlow, freelance travel writer

8. Wait before you click! Wait for the clouds to clear, the truck to move away from the front of the cathedral or other distractions to pass.

“Look around you and see what’s happening. If a child with a red balloon is coming around the corner, wait until she runs into your frame.”-- Mary Love, freelance travel photographer and writer

9. Put local people in your photos. Ask permission first and try not to pose them. Put people in your photos to give a sense of size and scale.

“Learn the phrase for ‘Smile, please’ in the language of the place where you are traveling, and smile before, during and after you click the shutter.” -- Maxine Cass, freelance travel photographer

“After photographing a local, turn your digital camera around and show the image to your subject. Everybody is happy to see what a great photo you just took.” -- Annette Thompson, associate travel and livings editor, Southern Living

10. Use fill-flash, even outdoors, to “fill-in” shadows.

“Sometimes you don’t have the option of waiting for the right light. The fill flash will light up a person’s face and remove shadows when the sun is overhead.”-- Laurie D. Borman, editorial director, Rand McNally

The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) is a non-profit professional association that works to promote responsible travel journalism and to provide professional support for its members, including travel journalists, photographers, editors, electronic media, film lecturers, television and film producers, and public relations representatives from the travel industry.

For more information on the Society of American Travel Writers, visit www.satw.org