There are few things that get the creative juices flowing more for an artist than physically removing ourselves from the city, our peers, and the simple distractions of everyday life.

When it comes to taking a step back from the mind’s routine to a place where quiet introspection cultivates production, it would be hard to find a better destination than the Fogo Island Arts Studios.

Located off the coast of Newfoundland, these four artist’s studios – soon to be six – were designed in 2010 by East-coast local Todd Saunders. They present a stark contrast to the rugged landscape with their clean geometric lines, asymmetrical balance, and functional aesthetic, providing the perfect catalyst for artistic inspiration. The sparse white interiors and bare-bones furnishing become the blank canvas, while just outside, the rocky terrain, placid tide-pools, and crashing Atlantic waves surround and stimulate with the perfect visceral tension. Open periodically for residencies, the Fogo Island Studios are home to artists of all disciplines seeking the perfect setting for motivation.

Each light-drenched studio is built on stilts to elevate the residents and to take advantage of the sublime views. Sustainability is of course, key. Preserving the sense of isolation and the overall majestic Canadiana of the island’s terrain was taken into account every step of the way. Each studio was built with local, hand-transported material, is heated by wood-burning stoves, and supplied with solar power.

Floor to ceiling windows overlook sprawling landscapes of rock, water, grass, and earth, uninterrupted in isolation. The ferry ride alone is an hour, plus two hours to the nearest town. It is sometimes easy to forget, for me and my fellow city-dwellers, that Canada really is the land of wide open space. What an amazing opportunity for any artist to connect with nature in peace, in a place where everything around you is a work of art unto itself.

^{All photos courtesy of Brent Rene Synnevag}

You can learn more about this amazing artist retreat at Fogo Island Arts.

Written And Researched By Laura Thipphawong, Student of Visual and Critical Studies at OCAD University