Sue Cameron

This coming weekend - specifically Friday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, Sept. 29 - artists around the northern Adirondacks will throw open the doors to their studios and invite us in for this year's version of Artist at Work Studio Tour. Each year on this weekend we get a rare opportunity to watch our renowned artists at work and see their workplaces.

Last year I toured some of the artists' studios on the Lake Champlain Region's version of this tour. What a great day! My husband and I dropped in on several artists around Essex, Wadhams and Westport area. We got to see some amazing work and we met some amazingly talented people.

This year there are some 32 artists in the greater Saranac Lake Region, including Paul Smiths, Bloomingdale, Lake Clear, Rainbow Lake, Vermontville and Onchiota as well as right in Saranac Lake, including three artists exhibiting their work at the Adirondack Carousel.

On the other side of the region is the Lake Placid, Wilmington, Jay and Ausable loop with another dozen artists, including three at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts.

Touring the studios is a unique experience if you've never done so. Many times you'll be the only person there and get one on one time with the artists. Lots of them offer refreshments and they love talking about their work. Most also have pieces for sale so you could do a bit of holiday shopping while you're at it!

You'll need to have a tour guidebook in hand with the map and list of artists so you can find your way around. The guidebooks can be picked up at The Adirondack Aritsts Guild and the Chamber of Commerce office, both in Saranac Lake, as well as in Lake Placid at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts or the Lake Placid Visitors Bureau. Or you can download the pdf version of the guide and print it yourself. (NOTE: One of our local artists, Carl Rubino, a photographer from Lake Placid, was incorrectly identified in the tour guide as an acrylic painter. Be sure to note that he is actually a photographer.)

Make plans to take a leaf-peeping tour around the North Country with guide in hand and you'll accomplish two things in one day - visiting our amazing artists at work and seeing some amazing foliage in between stops! Make a reservation if you plan to spend a night or two. Rooms during the weeks around peak foliage time tend to fill quickly making last minute lodging difficult to find on weekends.

Have fun and enjoy your tour!