Frykman Studio Gallery, Door County, WI

Every September, our thoughts turn to Door County and inevitably Lon and I make the five-hour trip to Wagon Trails Campground on Rowley's Bay (near the tip of the peninsula). We added an extra day to our mini-vacation this year by hooking up the trailer mid-afternoon on Thursday and heading north instead of driving up on Friday morning.

*

During our autumn stay on the peninsula, we always travel along the Green Bay shoreline from Gill's Rock south to Fish Creek. We go through Ellison Bay, Sister Bay and Ephraim on our scenic treks. Every day, we're drawn from the campground to explore these awesome little towns with their beautiful bay views, quaint shops, galleries, restaurants, theaters and more. If you love art, Door County is heaven on earth.

*

This year, we stopped in Sister Bay at the Frykman Studio and Gallery. The day was lovely. As we walked to the entrance, we noticed a gentleman sitting outside on a step, sanding a wood carving. Unbeknownst to us at the time, the artist was David Frykman. We were unexpectedly treated to a glimpse of him at work.

*

Once inside, we were warmly greeted by David's wife, Carole. We had stopped here in the past when a previous artist had owned the building. The openness of the interior of the gallery caught our attention immediately. The Frykmans have made many positive changes since they set up their art displays at this location.

*

David and Carole's son, Lucas, and his wife, Heather Harle Frykman, are talented fine art nature photographers. Their Door County nature photography adorned the walls and provided a bounteous feast for our eager eyes. Presently, Lucas and Heather are in the Boundary Waters, capturing the unique glory of that area with their cameras.

*

Overwhelmed by all we saw, we were indecisive and left the gallery empty-handed. The following day, Lon and I soon discovered that we were both harboring desires to return to the Frykman Studio. During that second visit, we decided the red-headed woodpecker would be perfect on a wall in our home.

*

We visited at length with David and Carole. They were kind enough to allow me to photograph them for my blog. (David isn't normally in the gallery so I lucked out). Our conversation eventually turned to food; imagine that! They encouraged us to try Fred & Fuzzy's Waterfront Bar & Grill, just a short distance down the road, unique with its tables in the grass right next to the water of the bay. We tried it and we liked it, actually we loved it. I'll tell you all about that experience real soon.

*

I encourage you to visit the Frykman Studio Gallery if you are ever fortunate enough to be in Door County. My words and pictures don't do justice to what you'll see on display. If getting there isn't possible, you can enjoy the art at http://www.frykmangallery.com/.

*

I'll be back again later this week with much more from "The Door."

(If you're not familiar with Door County, I should explain where it's located in Wisconsin. If you look at the back of your left hand (with your fingers held close together), that's the approximate shape of the state of Wisconsin. Your thumb is the peninsula known as Door County. With Green Bay on the west side and Lake Michigan on the east, the area is extremely scenic. Besides our annual trip in September, we return every year to Door County for the winter festival in February).

*

If you interested in reading more about Door County, Wisconsin, please go to my newer posts.