Grace McKee - Artist: October 2010

A SouthShore Arts Council
BIG DRAW Event

Chip Barker, Marketing Coordinator and I, Grace McKee, a SouthShore Arts Council member, volunteered to chair this event at the MiraBay Welcome Center. The show is available to the public Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 22-24, 2010, from 10 am to 6 pm.

We invited MiraBay residents and special guests to an Artists' Reception to enjoy the work of our creative MiraBay resident artists and the sunset over the lagoon, and many certainly did! Thank you to the almost 100 who attended Friday evening!

Some residents shared their hobbies:

The fascinating ribbon art was created by Nancy Ripley.

Ed Stone writes about boating and presented several of his tales.

Karen Stone paints such interesting oils.

Kathie Demme paints with acrylics and created the beautiful geranium paintings while studying in France.

Ken Fink is a talented photographer.

Kathy Evans (above) and Linda Ellison (below) are first-time artists. They participated in an instructor-led drawing event and had such fun sharing their drawings in graphite pencil, conte crayon and charcoal.

Other participating residents are in the professional category:

Gwen Rollings is a published author. She shared WE BAND OF SISTERS and SEASONS OF A WOMAN and willingly signed copies during the reception.

Tammy Franco of Beautiful Walls & More—An Elegant Alternative to Flat Painted Walls displayed several of her many faux finishes.

Cory Wright paints in acrylics and is a muralist; she displayed her orchids and offered her portfolio. Displaying with her were her son Sam and daughter Anna.

Husband and wife, Richard and Sheila Weidel (above and below), share an artistic bent. Richard paints magnificent oils and is available for commissions. Sheila paints furniture, makes shell items and quilts. She displayed the elegant sofa table above, a shell mirror (pictured below), and a shell picture frame.

While Timothy Delgado has “kept his day job” as Assistant Principal at Wimauma Elementary School, he is a professional artist who paints in oils. About a dozen of his staff members attended the Artists' Reception to cheer him on.

I, Grace McKee, paint with acrylics. I am excited to be teaching classes here at the MiraBay clubhouse. I have recently become MiraBay’s Art Specialist and will be leading resort-style living events. In November watch for a drawing event and a mixed media workshop. In December there will be fish rubbing, gyotaku, beside the lagoon.

Debbie Wenz is away in California. Friends delivered her fun flamingo lamp for display. It is one of many items offered by California Clayworks—Unique Ceramic Accessories.

A special "thank you" to my husband Archie, shown here with our good friend Phyllis Elsberry, for tolerating my frequent absences over the past few days and for keeping me going. He is my biggest supporter.

Check out the photos below to see what fun everyone was having sharing the creativity of our MiraBay residents and enjoying the camaraderie that is inherent in MiraBay living. And, oh, those sunset views!