GREAT SPACE: SAGEBRUSH STUDIOS

The Sagebrush Studio gallery and art studios in southwestern Saskatchewan.

In 1996, artists Dean and Fran Francis embarked on an ambitious project just 30 miles south of Dean’s original family farm. “We just wanted to be out here, have a studio and paint,” he says about their home and work space, Sagebrush Studios, right by the Alberta boundary west of Leader, Saskatchewan. When his hometown church in Mantario came up for sale, he bought it and moved it south onto his 80 acres. It’s now one of three churches on the property devoted to art-making and exhibition.

They’ve filled the space around their repurposed buildings with 20 acres of landscaping, scenic gardens that include Russian olives, spruce and pine, skunk bush, native flower beds, lilacs, saskatoon bushes, choke cherries and snow berries. The arid climate has made them focus on trees and hardy shrubs, with the abundance of berry bushes a particular enticement for songbirds.

With gardening and renovation occupying their summers, both artists find that the quiet Saskatchewan winters provide the perfect pause for them to get into the studio. A landscape painter, Dean has been depicting the local area on canvas for 30 years, while Fran, who also paints and draws, has focused on pottery for the last 15 years. After a day in the church studio, she looks forward to the scenic walk home.

When the gallery space finally opened to the public in 2001, Dean and Fran were able to work on their art for a full year and then bring it out in the spring to sell. Sagebrush Studios is open to visitors from May Long Weekend to Labour Day Weekend and by appointment the rest of the year — find directions on the web at deanfrancis.ca. When asked about future plans, Dean admits he’d like to take a break from all the renovating and gardening so he can paint year round. “We just can’t seem to stop scheming. Just like in art, there’s always room for improvement.”