She Paints Sea Shells by the Sea Shore

Earlier this month I wrote about the beauty of Sarasota’s beach and the delight of “shelling.” Finding treasures on the beach fascinated me as a child and I can remember having great fun walking the beaches of Sarasota back in the 70’s shelling with our two daughters even learning the names of many of the shells!! On this trip the first shell picture I painted using pastels was inspired by a bucket of shells that my two grandson’s collected with their aunt along Crescent Beach in Sarasota. The shelling was OK but not nearly what I had remembered from the 70’s along Longboat Key’s Beach.

Wanting to explore some of the other beaches, we drove to the southern most shore on Siesta Key. Much to our surprise we found outstanding shelling on Turtle Beach. It seems that the Hurricane two years ago had wiped out most of the beach and that reclaiming the beach has resulted in shelling better than ever. Before the beach had been quite rocky. Now it is very sandy, and as we wandered we can upon piles of shells. Fishing was also good along the beach. We watched a flounder and a small domed shark being caught!

I found using the shells as subject a good exercise in painting shapes, color composition and shading. All my work was done with pastels working directly from actual shells, sometimes placed in a still life arrangement and other times the shell held in my hand and studied closely.

This pastel is called "Still Life Shells on a Plate"

This pastel I call "Beautifully Broken"

To see more of the paintings I did in Sarasota, please check out my website.

http://www.joannetuckerart.com/still_life_painting.html

Art Runs in the Family

In a December Blog I shared the work of my Mom, Janet Klineman. In this blog I am pleased to share the work of my sister, Peggy Klineman. Working in her studio in New York City she creates dynamic abstract compositions. Featured here is "Winter 2008 - 59th Street Entrance to Central Park" completed this month. Oil on paper, it is 22” by 30.”

Peggy has an MFA degree in ceramics from Rochester Institute of Technology. Following graduation she taught and exhibited in the Rochester area until moving to New York City where she spent 25 years in the business world.

The need for self-expression became overwhelming. She began taking classes at Cooper Union and the Art Student League and for six years she polished her drawing skills and gaining proficiency in the use of oils. Now spending full time in her own studio she has created several vibrant abstract series. You can check them out by visiting her art space page.

I am enjoying being able to talk “art” with both my Mom and Sister! While we each have our own approach, medium, and style it is fun to share what we are doing and appreciate the work of each other.

Village of the Arts/Bradenton, Florida

We are now settled into a five-week stay in Sarasota having successfully escaped the Colorado winter storms and the cross-country drive. While we have spent time in Sarasota before, this was the first time we visited Village of the Arts in Bradenton. Our visit was for a book signing of “Screamer: The Forgotten Voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers” at The Village Book Store by Murray.

What a delight. The ArtWalk Guide, published quarterly, describes how the village began.

In the Summer of 1999, the Artists Guild of Manatee, Inc. was formed to establish the Village of the Arts in Bradenton. The dream was a community where artists of all disciplines could live, work and prosper. From just a handful of artists, there is now a community of studios and galleries, many of whom are open to the public during the Friday evening and Saturday afternoon ArtWalks.

What really impressed me as I explored the area and talked to some of the artists was the warmth and enthusiasm they conveyed. I loved the variety of different art forms and styles. There are also several fun places to have a bite to eat or a coffee, as well as the delightful independent bookstore that has a huge collection of books of local poets, and sponsors a writer’s group.

One of my favorite stops was to the Rose/Giles Studio. Herbie Rose was my Mom’s first art teacher and it was fun for my Mom to share with him how his classes had started her in watercolor, and how much she was enjoying painting. The gallery features his “vibrant watercolors” along with those of his wife, Graciela Giles.

The Village is adjacent to an industrial area and run down section of Bradenton. It is an effort to add new life to a depressed urban area. It reminded me of downtown Jersey City that we moved to in 1986. We watched the explosive renovations and gentrification that occurred over the eighteen years that we lived there. Village of the Arts also has this potential. The idea of being able to live, paint and exhibit in the same space certainly has its appeal.