WAGS Drink 'n' Draw

The exuberant ladies who call themselves the WAGS (Wine Appreciation Girls Society) were my first Drink 'n' Draw instructor-led drawing experience.  What a fun evening!  After the "liquid courage" I described as necessary for apprehensive budding artists, we got down to business.  Check out the photos below:

Art supplies, mats and backboards, photos, handouts, apron, easel...it takes a lot of stuff to create art.

This is the artist's version of what we were going for from the photos taken of a wine bottle, a beer bottle and a wine glass.

After the sharing of appetizers, wine and quite a few laughs, the artists, with all their supplies laid out, are chomping at the bit.

Hard at work following instructions....



Here are Debbie, Linda, Chris, Theresa, Margaret and Kathy PROUDLY displaying their finished drawings.

And each lady went home with a matted drawing, their art supplies and another sheet of acid-free paper so they can create another drawing using their new techniques.

Thank you, WAGS, for such a fun evening filled with my favorite things:  laughter and art.

DRINK 'n' DRAW--First Event

A group of ladies in MiraBay asked that I do an instructor-led drawing event. 

This is the plan for a FUN evening:

The group organizer invited friends and collected the fees.  Fees included drawing materials and instruction.

I created a grayscale drawing that I thought this group would especially appreciate.  Also, I created a graphic reminder for her to send out by email or print.  I am blanking out her name; you can see the picture we will be drawing.

Each lady was asked by their hostess to bring either a bottle of wine or an appetizer.  Upon arrival at her home, they will have time to enjoy each other's company and indulge in a bit of "liquid courage" before the creative time.

My goal is that the ladies have a lot of FUN and actually learn some drawing techniques.  Each lady will take home her drawing plus her art supplies and another sheet of paper on which to create another piece of artwork.

I'll let you know how things go....

Paintings for the SouthShore Arts Council Show

I plan to submit these two acrylic paintings to the SouthShore Arts Council Show at the SouthShore Regional Library.  Submission date is August 1. 

You are invited to the Artists' Reception on August 5 at 6:30 pm.

Orchid Basket

16 x 20

Banyan Cathedral

16 x 20

"A Painting is Never Finished; It Simply Stops in Interesting Places"--Paul Gardner

Here is my latest painting.  Not completely finished, but getting closer still.

Those of us from Florida have often seen the rain in the distance with a perfectly beautiful day around us.  The name of this painting is "Outrunning the Storm."  Just as we do in our lives, this sailboat is enjoying the beauty around it while attempting to stay ahead of the rain that is coming.

Close-Up:

MiraBay Welcome Center

So proud to have my artwork displayed as part of the exhibit in the MiraBay Welcome Center:

Featured Artist on ArtistsRegistry.com!

So excited that I am the Featured Artist on artistsregistry.com.  Please have a look!

Hillsborough Community College SouthShore Art Exhibit Has Ended

The HCC SouthShore Exhibit is now down.  It was a wonderful opportunity and I truly appreciate Dr. Witt's invitation to show and to Dean Steve Stancil for his support.

Next opportunity to view my work will be at the Apollo Beach Manatee Festival of the Arts on March 13-14.  Please come by and say hello.

In the meantime my artwork is available online at http://www.gracemckee.com/ and at Arianna's Rugs and Decor, just across Highway 41 North from MiraBay in Apollo Beach, Florida.

Thanks to all who attended my Artist's Reception and who visited the exhibit during the past month.  A special thanks to our daughter Jen and her family for visiting and for helping to take down the exhibit.

And thank you, Michael Johnson, HCC SouthShore Librarian, for all his help.

THANK YOU, CYNTHIA AND DOTI!

What a great time I had today!  Being the featured artist at Meet the Artist was such fun!

We had about 25 visitors who viewed my art and learned about giclees.  Hearing such positive comments and actually having inquiries about possible purchases reaffirms my commitment to my art.  Thank you to all who attended and especially to Cynthia Atkins and Doti Devane of Arianna's Rugs and Decor and to the folks at Sava Cafe who allowed us all to stream into and out of their coffee shop.  And of course to my husband Archie who is constantly supportive. 

I am pleased to have my work on view until the end of the year.  I encourage other SouthShore Arts Council members to consider this opportunity to show.  How wonderful to have people who encourage artists and provide such an outstanding venue!

Artist's Corner - Arianna's Rugs and Decor - RemixMyHome.com

You are invited to visit the new

Artist's Corner

at

Arianna's Rugs and Decor

5477 N US Highway 41

(across from MiraBay)

featuring the artwork of

Grace McKee

Meet the Artist

Wednesday, November 18, 3 - 5 pm

Sava Cafe

Can't make it to the Artist's Reception?

Arianna's Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 11 am - 5 pm

Ruskin Seafood Festival

Art brings people together. Two MiraBay neighbors who had not previously met recently became acquainted. How? We were setting up an art exhibit, Creative MiraBay, a Big Draw event sponsored by the South Shore Arts Council and chaired by Paula Elliott.

Cynthia Atkins and I had such a great time that we decided to exhibit next to each other at the Ruskin Seafood Festival. Cynthia, owner of Remix My Home and partner in Arianna’s Rugs and Décor and its accompanying consignment shop, showcased her businesses by decorating both tents using items from

her consignment shop. I am an artist who creates paintings in acrylics and uses my computer background to create giclees of my work, so I hung my paintings and showed my giclees.

Other than the CRAZY winds from a tropical storm in the Gulf, we had beautiful weather.  I talked to at least 50 people that I know and just as many that I had not met before.  Great exposure for both us!

The two of us again had a great time. So much so that Cynthia is now setting up an Artist’s Corner in her consignment shop and I will be her first featured artist. Come by the shop at 5477 US Hwy 41 N just across from MiraBay. The shop is open 11 am – 5 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. We have tentively scheduled an artist’s reception to be held at Sava Café (next door) 3 to 5 pm, Wednesday, November 18. Come by to meet Grace and Cynthia.  (FIRST check back to confirm the date and time!)

PhotoShop Creation - Big Draw Workshop

I created this while assisting Dolores Coe at a Big Draw Workshop.  What fun!

Back from China

We had a fantastic trip. (China2009McKee.blogspot.com) Tried to help at the Big Draw In on Saturday, October 10; still jetlagged and tired so lasted about three hours. (SouthShoreArtsCouncil.org)

This past Saturday I co-chaired Creative! MiraBay, part of the Big Draw. We had a wonderful event: seven artists from MiraBay participated, over 50 people visited, and 31 were interested in knowing more about the SouthShore Arts Council. So a huge success! Thank you to Paula Elliott who chaired the event and Cynthia Atkins of Remix Your Home who was in charge of setting up the display. Also, we appreciate the support of Vaike O'Grady and Chip Barker of the MiraBay Welcome Center.

Don't Be Koi - Acrylics on Canvas

I LOVED doing this painting!

My husband the scientist says the koi is eating algae off the back of the other koi. But I prefer to think she is kissing him.

Look closely and you will see the Chinese characters for "Don't," "Be" and "Koi."

Hope you like it. Click "Comments" to let me know what you think.

We are off to San Francisco in a couple of weeks and on to China for three weeks. Lots of opportunities to learn more about Asian art and for Archie to learn more about Chinese porcelian. Should be great fun!

Can You See Yourself?

This piece was created for the Altered Functions Show at the Art Center of Manatee. The artists' reception is tonight, May 29, 2009. The pieces will be on exhibit from May 28 through June 27 in the galleries at Art Center of Manatee, Bradenton, Florida. Hope to see you there!

The acrylic painting is on plexiglass which was placed in the opening of this actual Porsche engine cover which I bought at Vortex in Tampa. (Thanks, Doug!) Adhered to the back of the plexiglass is a Florida map showing Melbourne to Clearwater, the route of the Porsche Club of America Sunrise/Sunset Rally. The sun is--appropriately--an antenna topper.

The original plate at the top of the cover reads, "Beach Racing Cars." The can contains the magnetic letters U and C. Screwed to the center is a 3D rearview mirror. This is followed by the letters N and A. The question mark is made up of small keys.

"Can you see yourself in a Porsche?" We hope so and we hope that you will join is in the Suncoast Porsche Club of America or the PCA of your local region.

YUM! Cakes by Beth

Our daughter Beth made this birthday cake for me. She is also an artist; her medium is a bit unusual--she expresses herself using fondant icing on bakery items.

She now has a blog, too. To see more of her creations, visit her blog at http://www.yumcakesbybeth.blogspot.com/. You will be amazed.