Long before I came to live on Gabriola I knew it was a haven for artists. My first art crawl took me right off the ferry and into Folklife Village Mall. There I found Art Works. Wow! Inside this building is an art statement.

Unusual pieces of wood and polished logs work together to create an earthy art gallery. Local artists showcase their larger pieces of work in the upper gallery and display finer pieces on the main floor.  Inspired and ready to prowl the circuit I picked up a pamphlet on a gallery and studio tour. I followed the scent of coffee to Raspberries Jazz Café where I took a mug of java to a table and planned my strategy.

Last year the island had 55 studios and 91 artisans in the festival. I made a hit list of the ones I wanted to see now with plans to save the rest for desert if I had time. I narrowed the hunt to seven artists and even then a weekend trip would not be enough.

Antony Holland is a well known and celebrated actor/writer on the island, and performs in his own theatre 'Bells & Whistles'. He writes up to 20 plays per year, and performs regularly on Granville Island in Vancouver.

Tammy Hudgeon creates fantastic glass works. She combines her own style of stained or fused glass with sculpture that is greatly in demand. Judith Madsen captures the soul of our beloved animals and recreates them on canvas. Their eyes sparkle with life and the look of love only a pet can give. At Sandstone Pottery, Graham and Joyce produce unique pottery and stoneware, and I am proud to display a few special pieces in my home. With their talent and technique no piece of their pottery could be duplicated and that makes it very collectible.

Anyone on the island who loves music has heard of Leah Hokanson and Lulu. Lulu is her grand piano, and this is a musical love affair. She has a huge following and her performances for something truly special.

Rick Cranston's boundless imagination is expressed in his love of wood. Fantastic creatures arise from driftwood and are often gilded in gold, brass or copper. His work is internationally recognized and if you own one of his creations you have a rare treasure.

The last artist I had the opportunity to see was Dave McGrath. He is affectionately and sometime fearfully known as VooDoo Dave. This man has an ability to change the direction your blood flows in. Something about the beat of an African drum stirs us and Dave's magic is art. If you have ever been to one of his drumming events or on the beach at the full moon, you know your life has been altered. The beat and the rhythm of the drum will stay in your heart forever.

The more I scratched the surface of the arts on Gabriola the more I knew it was becoming an addiction and I needed to see it all. Fortunately, this art festival is an annual event. Ink-in Thanksgiving Weekend next year for the Thanksgiving Studio and Gallery Tour. You can find a wealth of information online at http://www.gabriolaartscouncil.org. Again as last year; I had a few more pieces of creative Gabriolian artistry to my collection, to be enjoyed for a lifetime.