Observe artists in their natural habitat

Watch artists at work at the semi-annual Oak Bay Artists’ Studio Tour, presented by the Oak Bay Community Artists Society, Saturday and Sunday.

There is no dress code for the tour but participants — especially public figures — might want to be careful what they choose to wear.

“I remember the mayor of Oak Bay standing in my living room at one tour,” said Imke Pearson, one of the co-founders. “He had his shoes off — and he had a hole in his sock. We had great fun reminding him of that over the years.”

The former mayor is one of more than 300 people who usually take the selfguided tour to see what the artists are up to every year. Established as well as emerging artists on the tour include Robert Amos, Jennifer McIntyre, Bonny Myers, Flo-Elle Watson and Tanya Bolenz

Expect to see a variety of original works in oil pastels, watercolours or acrylic, paper collages, pottery, woodcut, ceramics, jewelry, calligraphy, photographs, beads and textiles. The juried tour is produced by Recreation Oak Bay

While the tour is an opportunity for the public to meet the artists behind the art, the artists are also eager to meet the people buying their work.

“It’s really neat to meet the person buying a piece,” Pearson said. “You don’t know who buys it when it sells at a gallery.”

This is the 16th year of the event, with 25 artists represented.

The self-guided tour is free. Studios are open noon to 4:30 p.m. both days. A downloadable pamphlet is available online. For information, go to oakbayartists.com.