HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It is 2011!  Can you believe it?

MiraBay Art Classes resume this week:

Acrylics - All levels
Tuesdays, 2 - 4 pm or 6:15 - 8:15 pm

Drawing with graphite, conte crayon, and charcoal
Fridays, 2 - 4 pm

Gyotaku
Saturday, January 22, 10 am - 12 noon

Sign up by calling the fitness center. 

Not a MiraBay resident?  Maybe you have a friend who is a resident and is taking the class that interests you.  Give me a call and I'll run interference to help with the signing up process.

Hope to see you soon!

Grace

MiraBay Drinks and Drawing Event Nov 13

On Nov 13 participants will draw the MiraBay fountain and go away with a finished drawing just waiting for a frame.  Really!  The drawing for the Nov 13 will be this one of the MiraBay fountain.  I drew this using graphite pencil, charcoal pencil, black and white conte crayons, and a variety of erasers.  ERASERS ARE DRAWING TOOLS!  It is drawn on blue paper.  (Participants can choose blue or green.)

MiraBay residents can sign up for this fun drawing event by calling the fitness center at 649-1500, x21. 

On Nov 13 at 10 am, the event will begin with shared mimosas and chat time for participants to get loosened up.  At 10:30 am the instructor-led drawing event will take place.  If the weather is good, we may even set up around the MiraBay fountain in front of the clubhouse rather than inside.

I will show the participants various photos of the fountain and show how I came up with this composition.  I always preach, "Do not be a slave to your photo!  Pick and choose the interesting elements and place them in your composition for maximum impact."

You say you can't draw?  Well, you are a prime candidate for this event because drawing techniques will be taught as we create our individual drawings.  You will be led by the hand, so to speak, but can still make changes as you see fit.

So be brave!  Sign up asap!

All drawing tools and materials and one mimosa are included in the price.

Deadline:  Nov 10  Minimum: 6  Maximum:  12

NOT A MIRABAY RESIDENT?  I am offering a drawing class on Thursday, November 18, 1 - 3 pm, at The Art Studio at Arianna's across from MiraBay.

2nd Annual CREATIVE! MIRABAY Event

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!

All Photos Copyright 2010 Grace McKee

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!

 

  

All Photos Copyright 2010 Grace McKee



A highly successful evening...and now to relax!  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!