HOLMES BEACH – Island Gallery West features art created by its 30 member artists who work in paint, drawing, mixed media, photographs, sculpture, jewelry and glass mosaics. The gallery recently announced the addition of two new member artists to the co-op.
Terri Westbrook is a painter whose style leans toward impressionism, working primarily in pastel media. She is inspired by the places she has traveled to and lived, including Charleston, S.C., Anna Maria and the Florida Panhandle.
Westbrook discovered her love of creating a little later in life than many artists. She has learned the basics of art and the nuances of pastel art only in recent years from online and in-person instruction.
“My paintings are journal entries, my response to what I see when I’m out in nature, or my emotions about a place I visited many years ago,” she said. “Making art is like meditation for me. I hope people enjoy my pieces that come from my heart.”
Larry Paul is an award-winning artist who creates unique works of art using Prismacolor colored pencil, inks and graphite. From impressionistic old doors and windows, realistic plant drawings, and expressionistic interpretations of sunsets and volcanoes, Paul’s art comes from decades of studying and photographing the natural world’s effects on human-made objects – the beauty of decay, the complexity of the philodendron plant, and getting inspiration from walking the beaches of Florida’s west coast searching for sharks’ teeth.
Much of Paul’s work derives from the outdoors and built environments, though subject matter and inspiration also come from a collection of his original photographs taken since the 1970s, along with photographs taken during self-prescribed photographic exploration tours.
Island Gallery West is a co-op with each member paying a portion of the sale of their art to fund the operating costs. They currently have 32 member artists, all of whom are from the area. The gallery welcomes submissions from any local artist who would like to become a member. After submitting required material and documentation, new members must get a two-thirds majority of current members’ approval to be accepted.
The gallery is located at 5368 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach, trolley stop 15. Normal hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, but they will be closed for renovation from Sept. 13-24. For more information on the gallery and its artists, or on becoming a member, visit www.islandgallerywest.com or call 941-778-6648.
