Special to The Post-Journal

As artists, we do work that is personal. The annual Chautauqua Lake Erie Art Trail Open Studio and Gallery Tour is an opportunity to visit places where we live and create. We find inspiration in one of the most beautiful, picturesque regions of New York State. As you travel to visit us, see what we see every day — verdant vineyards and fields, lush forests, rolling hills, and spectacular shorelines along Lake Erie and Chautauqua Lake.

Using your cell phone camera, take a picture of this QR code to find our website with an Interactive map and artists. This code will help to plot a course around the county for the Hub Crawl.

There are 24 artists on North Shore Arts Alliance’s Art Trail Hub Crawl.

Design by Cynthia Norton

Today, we will feature six artists. Look for us in next weekend’s edition.

Tina Ames (Artsy Garden- Bemus Point) — Ames was born and raised in Western New York. Classically trained in the arts, she received her degree in the late ’80s. While raising two sons with her husband — she created many businesses including a Frame Shop/Gallery, Cafe, Gift Shop and Cookie Company… selling them successfully years later to move into the corporate world. This break from the entrepreneurial & creative world into the corporate field did not allow time for Tina to create. A bad case of Shingles forced her to stay in bed for several months – allowing her to start “doodling” again with what she had – markers and paper. This “Gift of Shingles” as she calls it made her realize that her true wish was to return to the creative world. In 2014 Tina successfully started selling her inspirational prints, cards and card decks and is now in gift shops around the country.

Susan Forrester-Mackay (Kniti Griti Works Hub – Fredonia) — I am a child of the ’60s when beauty, love and peace were going to change the world. I create artwork because the beauty of the process is the best mind- altering state I have ever known. The need to touch, feel, respond and communicate human emotions within the landscape of the human form is enormous. The subject of human beings and their interactions is an endless source of fascination for me; hence, most of my work is figurative and evocative, focusing on the variety of everyday human gesture.

Matt McNaughton (Farmboy Enterprises – Forestville) — “It is a good life.” Animals and sculpting are Matt McNaughtan’s passions, as an animal artist he has a blast immersed in it and it shows. Matt is a new artist to Western New York landing in the middle of COVID 2020 with his wife and four kids. He grew up on a Utah farm where he taught high school art for a decade creating Farmboy Art. Matt loves his home studio, happily sculpting whimsical custom pets, farm, zoo, and ocean animals – if he does not have the animal you are looking for he will gladly make it for you!

Susan Simmons (LMNOP Gallery – Sherman) — Susan Simmons, artist and entrepreneur, focuses primarily on landscape, portrait, and abstract paintings in all mediums. With over 50 years of painting experience, Susan surprises her clients and admirers with unique artistry, yet her signature style still shines through. Susan’s collectors and fans rave about the versatility of collecting her works. She believes this is an era to uplift herself and others through intrigue and imagination. She is passionate about the creative process and brings delight to those who appreciate and treasure fine art.

Cynthia Norton (Cynthia Norton Designs – Chautauqua) — Cynthia Norton grew up in Chautauqua and graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1969, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with honors and a major in sculpture. Her career has included a range of artistic pursuits. Since 1987 she has headed her own company, Cynthia Norton Designs, producing hand-painted textiles and specializing in hand-painted clothing for sophisticated, artistically inclined women (and sometimes men). The mission is to help people look their best with beautiful clothing that reveals the artist’s hand, imparts vitality, is comfortable and easy to care for, suits the individual and allows her (or him) to shine.

Patrick Stokes (Thomas Annear Art Hub – Fredonia) — I consider myself a portrait photographer whether my subject is a person or a landscape and I approach both with wonder, curiosity, and awe. I started my photographic journey in a dark room at 14 and over the years drifted in and out of capturing images over the years. Being a tech fan, I picked up my first digital camera in 2001 and progressively began to grow my passion for capturing images anew. With the advent of cell phone cameras and computational imagery I took the leap into fine art photography with the acquisition of state-of-the-art lenses and cameras. Photography to me is time traveling and as an avid traveler and sci-fi enthusiast I hope someday a millennium from now someone will discover one of my images and be transported back in time. Please follow my explorations on Instagram or visit my website.

Artwork by Tina Ames Submitted Photos