South Coast Artists

Opening Their Doors To Inspiration

by Brian Goslow

For most, their first drive through the South Coast is an unexpected arrival to a land of beautiful back- road, water-enhanced scenery, farm stands bursting with local produce and restaurants, cafes and galleries conveying a warm invite to their owners’ special culinary and artistic dreams (see the accompanying Westport/Tiverton Wanderlust). And, since 2004, for two weekends each summer, a large number of area artists have welcomed art lovers to enjoy, experience and buy their locally-made and influenced art at their working studios during the South Coast Artists Open Studio Tour.

If it is your first visit, you’ll discover two things immediately: you’d love to stay here for an extended period of time — and that it’s impossible to visit all of the nearly 90 participating artists. “If you’ve never been on the tour before, I would suggest that you familiarize yourself with the website — www. southcoastartists.org — and make a plan of who you want to see and what areas you might like to visit,” said Don Cadoret of Tiverton. “It can be too much to see everything in one day, so spending two days is best. Better yet, set aside both weekends in July and August and really explore the creative bounty and coastal beauty of this stunning landscape.”

Cadoret has been creating his much-beloved and much-collected story paintings and illustrations for over 40 years, grabbing inspiration from wife Johanna’s beautiful garden, the view of the ocean down the street and rural America. “Living in close proximity to the ocean, against an agricultural backdrop, really inspires diversity in my work,” he said. “It allows me to dream and compose story paintings that blend both worlds. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect and sublime landscape from which to draw stories.

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