Douro Art Studios

An oasis for creativity

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The Merriam Webster Dictionary describes an oasis to have two meanings:​

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1: a fertile or green area in an arid region (such as a desert)

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Out here at Douro Art Studios we have cultured an oasis to support imagination and creativity. Our little acre, surrounded by the old farm fields of Douro-Dummer Ontario, is nestled amongst a small area of forest with cedar to east and silver maple to the west.  The area was only saved from being used for agriculture thanks to the shimmering temporary swamp running along the north west boundary. This silver maple swamp is an small piece of an important watershed for the area and is home to breeding spring peepers, chorus frogs, wood frogs, American toads and Grey’s tree frogs, brings beauty to the property, and provides us with more than enough maple syrup to share with friends over the year.  With our species rich garden in the centre of the property, we are visited by many bees and butterflies, and it hosts a wide diversity of birds throughout the year - some favourites being Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.  Sometimes it feels as though time has stopped in this garden - and the Art Studio only emphasizes this effect.

2: something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast

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Douro Art Studios is an oasis amid the busy nature of modern life.  The log cabin was built in 1842 at a time when life was hard but simple.  Once standing alone, acres from neighbouring families, the log cabin is a testament of the strength, talent and persistence of early immigrants to this land.  You cannot help but feel the stresses of life fade away when you enter our property.  Only when we slow down are we given the time to imagine and create, when we slow down anything is possible.  After working 27 years in academia at Trent University, I had the fortune to invest in our future.  Douro Art Studios will be restored with the goal to tap into our creative selves, to take the time to immerse in nature, to observe the beauty which surrounds us, and attempt to capture a hint of that beauty in our art to share with others.  ​