Country Fair offers old-fashioned fun

The early bird catches the cobbler.

And so it was on Saturday for the 17th annual Country Fair and Art Show hosted by the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration. An eager crowd of Marionberry dessert fans clustered around The Sweet Tooth booth at the fair's opening at 10 a.m.

"We had 13 pans and they're mostly all gone already," said church member Ann Reed. "They're selling faster than ever. People are getting a lot smarter now and started lining up earlier than ever. They don't want to miss out. Most are having their cobbler before lunch. We love that."

The simple, old-fashioned affair under the pines drew a healthy crowd of local friends and summer visitors to enjoy a warm August day in Sisters and help support the church congregation and the variety of local charities and community support agencies it donates to. Guests prowled stacks of used books, sat for a festive face-painting, ate barbecued ribs, marched in the cake walk, chatted with firefighters and admired some amazing fine art inside.

At the Country Store, fresh vegetables, berries and herbs, canned jams, classic cookies, fruit pies and homemade fudge tucked in miniature Chinese takeout cartons crammed the long farm tables.

"This year we have some new things, like the designer houseplants, antique greenery items and garden decorations," said volunteer Roberta Kary. "Ladies and gentlemen of the church do a lot of baking and it looks like most of the pies are all gone. We have hot breads and rolls from the kitchen. Jellies and jams were made right here in the church by the Can-Can girls."

Country Fair treasurer Frank Guthrie thought the day's turnout was great, and the proceeds from the previous night's art reception and silent auction exceeded expectations and last year's numbers.

"Over the years we've been so blessed with a continued improvement in the quality of the art and the growing interest of the community," he said. "We had some great donations for our auctions and are very thankful for everyone's generosity."

More than 40 artists participated in this year's juried art show, and the exhibited talent drew many an admiring eye from judges and visiting art-lovers alike.

"I think I've done this show for three years and I'm usually the only one doing pure abstract art," said artist Bill Burkart. "I've been painting seriously for the past four years since I retired. I like to use a lot of color and love a bright range of paint with many different layers, usually four to 10. I try to add small details within the canvas to gain complexity that doesn't necessarily strike you right away. I've taken to not naming the paintings now to not influence someone's personal interpretation of them."

In her very first show, the People's Choice award was presented to Linda Robinson for her charming piece of two children playing with chalk on a sidewalk. Judge's Choice for Pencil and Pastel was won by Barbara Kennedy for her entry of a pastoral meadow entitled "Frog Hunting." Best Oil or Acrylic went to Joanne Donaca for an impressive High Desert landscape work she called "Cloud Formation: Smith Rock."

Watercolor artist Don Zylius relaxed with fellow artists after a busy afternoon and reflected on the previous day's reception and viewing.

"This is always a great show, with many talented artists," he said. "I've been doing watercolors for over 40 years. In transparent watercolors I like the beautiful glow effect created and soft mood evoked. I do as much of the painting as possible pouring diluted watercolors via an ear syringe onto wet paper and then let the colors run and blend. They call that a wet-in-wet technique, and it really allows my students to develop a nice, loose style."

Proceeds from the fair and art show are dispersed throughout the community to aid local families.