Broome among artists to be seen in Studio Tour King 2008
By Jon Yaneff

Marianne Broome with some of her artwork, which will be featured at the Studio Tour King April 26 and 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Her acrylics and watercolours depict floral and landscapes of the heart of King Township to perfection.

Marianne Broome is an award-winning artist from King and will feature her artwork for the third annual Studio Tour King 2008, which takes place April 26 and 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tour will explore stops in King City, Schomberg and Nobleton, as well as the surrounding areas.

Besides Broome, there will be more than 25 acclaimed artists on the tour, as people have the opportunity to check out scenic King Township and visit studios and other locations. The artists will have a variety if their creations for sale, including everything from paintings to ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, pottery, waterfowl carvings, photography and other crafts.

The other participants on the tour are Wilhelmina Cavan, Garry Conway, Brett Davis, Louise Garin, Nancy Jones, David Kempton, Kaleidescope, Ken MacFarlane, Aggie McCormack, Evangaline Munns, Christine Paige, Ken Prescott, Bob Sharer, Karola Steinbrecher, Diane Styrmo, Mary Ventrella, Phyllis Vernon, Tom Wray, Kingcrafts and Schomberg School of Art, which will feature some very beautiful student creations.

Born in England, Broome has lived in King since 1982, and is well established in the art community. She also teaches art at the Schomberg School of Art, as well as various art groups, the Toronto Watercolour Society, the Bayview Watercolour Society, Loyalist College, South Hampton School of Art and the Haliburton School of Art.

Broome is an environmentalist and one of her goals with her art is to help people see the beauty of nature with conservation and the need to preserve it.

"I combine art with conservation," explained Broome. "I try in a way to get the message out that we need to take care of our planet. So I paint landscapes mainly of King Township, the rolling hills or the beautiful scenery, as well as in northern Ontario and the Algonquin area."

"I also love flowers and love painting big bold florals, as I try to get to the heart and soul of the flower," she added.

Broome's artwork has been exhibited in many juried and non-juried shows and exhibitions, as she's received many awards including The Franklin Carmichael Award, Best Watercolour and People's choice awards. Her work can also be found in private and corporate collections and publications in Canada, U.S., England, Australia and Malaysia.

The studio tour has moved from the summer to spring and last year Broome had about 200 visitors over the two-day event.

"I'm really looking forward to it," she said. "It's the big event of the year for me."

Broome has artwork featured at the Lock Gallery in Clarksburg (near Collingwood), where she just sold three paintings, the Ethel Curry Gallery in Haliburton, as well as galleries in Toronto, Richmond Hill and Maple.

Maps for the tour are available through the King Township Museum and libraries, as well as online at www.asksocietyking.ca

Broome's Web site can be viewed at www.naturesedgestudio.ca and can be contacted at her studio at (905) 833-2431.