SEQUIM — This is a weekend to revel in the Dungeness Valley’s native delights: lavender, of course, but also quiet, rural roads and flights of fancy.
These flights come in the form of art, revealed at the point of creation in the fifth annual Sequim Arts Studio Tour from Friday through Sunday.
“I’m very happy to share my space. It’s very scenic,” said Carrie Rodlend, a painter and art teacher who makes her home near the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge.
All weekend, Rodlend will welcome visitors to her studio, which is one of 17 on the tour across Sequim, Dungeness and Blyn.
Admission is free, the studios will be open from 10 a.m. till 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, and a map and complete guide are available at www.SequimStudioTour.org.
The work, which ranges from color-saturated fused glass to intricate cedar-bark sculpture, could dazzle on its own, tour organizers believe.
But the finished art isn’t everything. Several artists, including silversmith Ed Crumley and watercolorist Sally Cays, will be showing people their particular techniques.
“I’ve been branching into landscapes and seascapes in acrylics,” Cays said, “and I will be doing some demonstrations in both watercolor and acrylic.
“What people will see is very, very realistic paintings and demonstrations of how to achieve that realism.”
Cays will also display acrylic paintings few have seen before at her studio at 101 W. Robert Place, which is off Woodcock Road via Ridge View Drive.
Crumley, too ,eagerly anticipates demonstrating his craft — and inviting visitors to try it themselves. He makes silver jewelry and will unveil some in-progress pieces during the tour.
Visitors will see the steps that go into creating a work of wearable art from silver, jasper and agate, Crumley promised.
“There are some pretty amazing stones” in the collection he’s built over 40 years.
“People will have the opportunity to hammer on some metal and see firsthand how that works,” the artist added.
Crumley will share studio space this weekend with Elsbeth McLeod, who shapes bronze into jewelry-size sculptures. The pair will set up their work at 532 E. Sequim Bay Road, which is off Old Blyn Highway east of Sequim.
Amid the tour’s kaleidoscope of original art, plenty will be available for purchase.
In many cases, the price range is wide. At Rodlend’s studio at 562 Holgerson Road, for example, are her new impressionistic landscapes.
All are inspired by places around Sequim, and some are less than $100. “I have a huge new selection of cards,” she added.
Rodlend, who has lived in the Dungeness Valley since 1980, holds her own open house every year. This summer, she’s combining it with the lavender weekend studio tour.
“Escape the lavender madness,” she quipped.
“It’s beautiful here. Come out and enjoy the mountain view.”
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-417-3550 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
