HOLMES BEACH – Visitors to the monthly Holmes Beach Art Walk had plenty to be excited about. The Art Walks take place the second Friday of each month, and many local businesses stay open late to allow attendees to not only visit the two art galleries, but visit other local participating businesses for some shopping or a bite to eat. Both Island Gallery West and The Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island invite visitors to browse the works of dozens of local artists, enjoy wine, snacks and meet the artists. Among the artists this month were the February featured artists at both galleries.
Anne Abgott: Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island
Canadian-born Anne Abgott moved to Anna Maria Island 20 years ago and has been creating world-class watercolor works ever since she took a watercolor class shortly after her move to the Island.
“I’ve done olives, I’ve done crystals, flowers and people, but I’ve always been taken with the Florida foliage and fauna,” Abgott said. “I love local plants, but had a hard time painting them since I didn’t understand how they grew, being from the north. I started taking a lot of pictures of bismarck palms and rubber plants; things people don’t normally paint.”
Abgott only paints in watercolors, and she has been quite successful, winning major awards in her field and getting her featured in national publications such as Artists Magazine, where she is featured in the March/April 2022 issue. She also wrote a book published in 2006 titled, “Daring Color.” Color is what Abgott is noted for, using colors that may not be what you see when you view the subject of her works in nature.
“Look at a regular palm, where everybody else sees green I don’t see green, I see all these other colors,” said Abgott, referring to one of her palm paintings hanging in the front window of the Guild Gallery.
Abgott is a longtime member of the Guild and will be featured through the end of February, although some of her work is always on display and for sale in the Gallery. For more information and works of art, visit her website.
Joanna Karpay: Island Gallery West
A lifelong painter, Joanna Karpay has been a member of Island Gallery West for 10 years, and is February’s featured artist. She credits the support member artists give to each other as one of the many things that make this gallery special.
“It’s been a wonderful place, just being in a co-op gallery where everybody supports each other. It’s kind of casual here, and I love that; I’ve been successful here,” Karpay said. “I’ve been painting my whole life; I was about 8 years old when my mother put me in classes and I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Karpay primary paints with oil, but also enjoys pastels and teaches both to anyone who is eager to learn. As is the case with many artists, she paints from photographs and particularly likes to paint landscapes of locations in the area, as well as birds, which is the subject of her exhibit on display in the front window of Island Gallery West this month, titled, “For the Birds.”
“I get my inspiration from places I go and camp, or kayak,” said Karpay, an outdoor enthusiast whose work is highly influenced by her adventures and time spent in nature.
“For the Birds” will remain in the front of Island Gallery West for the remainder of February and all works of art are available for purchase. Visit Karpay’s website for more fine art by this artist.
