At the end of a long, secluded gravel road in Central Whidbey, there is a new private art gallery that sits on a scenic property overlooking the Saratoga Passage.

Willows Orchard is having its first art show this weekend from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, July 9 and 10. Fifteen artists from across Whidbey Island, Seattle and Bainbridge Island are participating.

“This is our first time doing this show, but we’re really excited about it because we have this beautiful barn space,” said Elizabeth Walsh, the owner of the property and curator of the show.

Walsh, who has a background in event planning, was inspired by all the arts shows she’s been to on Whidbey. She thought her own 10-acre property would make a good venue and gallery space. She said she felt it was important to have a women-led artist group, which she described as unique.

The beautiful setting serves as a perfect backdrop for human-made art. She can sometimes see orcas from her backyard. She named it “Willows Orchard” because she has an extensive garden with several types of fruit trees.

“It’s like a hidden surprise,” Walsh said.

Once she decided to curate a show, she began reaching out to local artists she liked, both on and off the island.

“Amongst the artist community, we’re getting a lot of excitement about it,” she said.

People are traveling from out of town to see the show and purchase art.

Some artists will have work in the indoor barn space, and others will have their work displayed outside. The mediums range from photography to woodworking to stone sculpture. Some of the artists involved are sculptor Sue Taves, abstract painter and sculptor Rya Wu, contemporary artist Kim Tinuviel, and painters Annette Hanna and Liesel Lund.

Lund lives in Freeland. She does a lot of plein air paintings of scenes around Whidbey Island, such as Ebey’s Landing and the Coupeville Wharf.

“This is my place,” she said. “I moved here and suddenly there were things everywhere to paint. Before that I only painted in the studio.”

Painter Katy Leigh has been an artist for a while, but this is only her second gallery show. She is a stay-at-home mom who paints mostly at night when her kids are asleep. That is reflected in her work, full of dark, moody colors.

She is another artist who gets a lot of her artistic inspiration from the island itself, as well as other local artists. Along with landscapes, she paints portraits, animals and food.

She described working with Willows Orchard as a lovely and inviting experience.

“The community here and the way they’re interested in and supportive of the arts is remarkable,” she said. “I’m very grateful for that.”

Lund will likely be painting plein air during the actual event so people can see her artistic process in action. Gary Leake, a woodworker who makes tables and benches, will also be creating art on site.

The show is free and open to the public. Willows Orchard is located at 1306 Willow Pond Lane in Coupeville.

“There is a destination at the end of the road,” Walsh said with a laugh. “Just keep driving.”

Photos by Rachel Rosen/Whidbey-News Times Liesel Lund talks about her work, which primarily consists of plein air oil paintings.

A piece by renowned stone sculpture artist Sue Tavis is displayed outdoors at Willows Orchard.

Paintings by local artist Katy Leigh. (Photo by Rachel Rosen/Whidbey News-Times).

Photo by Rachel Rosen/Whidbey News-Times Liesel Lund in front of her work at the Willows Orchard gallery.