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Artists’ Guild features Patterson

Artists’ Guild features Patterson

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Art, Entertainment.

HOLMES BEACH – The last Holmes Beach Night Market of the season packed the sidewalks with shoppers, diners and art lovers on April 12, who were introduced to the Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island’s Featured Artist, Kathy Lee Patterson.

Patterson says she is inspired by local flora, fauna and water scenes.

“I specialize in acrylic, but I really love to be experimental,” Patterson said. “You’ll notice in my feature display you’ll see traditional paintbrush, then there’s gold leaf, palette knife work and even clay with a palette knife.”

Patterson also enjoys making usable works of art in the form of items like tissue boxes, trays and even drink coasters that would bring beach vibes to any end table.

While a lifelong artist, Patterson didn’t begin making art a profession until retiring to Palmetto from her home in Philadelphia.

Anyone wanting a painting of a familiar place in the area will be delighted with Patterson’s works. Paintings on display at the gallery feature local locations from Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Perico Island and many more familiar spots.

While many artists focus on perfect realism, Patterson says while she does paint from photographs she takes, once she gets going she doesn’t necessarily follow the rules. Taking liberties with the scene is not only something she does, but it’s one of the factors that makes her art unique and beautiful. All of Patterson’s art is available for purchase at the gallery, 5414 Marina Drive, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In addition to Patterson’s work, the gallery hosted artist demonstrations on the sidewalk, live music from Larry Wilhelm, wine and snacks.

Other Holmes Beach businesses also took part, including Pizzano’s Pizza and Grinders, D Coy Ducks, Small Town Creamery, howluckyami, Irene’s Clothing Store, Sand Dollar, The Feast, Hurricane Hank’s, Freckled Fin and The Doctor’s Office.

Featured artist combines nature, stained glass

Featured artist combines nature, stained glass

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Art, Entertainment.

HOLMES BEACH – The final Holmes Beach Art Walk of the winter/spring season on April 14 offered a chance for the public to meet many of the talented local artists who are members of the Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island (AGAMI), including April’s Featured Artist, Janet Razze.

Unlike many artists who tend to specialize or prefer working in a single media, Razze uses watercolor, oil, acrylic, and in the case of her feature display, stained glass. She is a second-generation stained glass artist, learning the art form from her father beginning at a young age.

“I’m really inspired by nature, in fact, I started out as a biology teacher,” said Razze, whose display will be in the front window of AGAMI through the end of April. “I really enjoy doing stained glass, and as you can see by this display, I incorporated different shells from around the world in these stained glass pieces, and the name of the shell is in the title of each, so the observer knows what they are looking at.”

Razze offers unique stained glass works, and recently created a series of fish that glow in the dark after a labor-intensive process of applying a special acrylic paint that charges in the sunlight and glows in the darkness.

The art walk, which included many businesses in the Holmes Beach Shopping Plaza, will be the last of the season. Razze, who is also the AGAMI president, says they may restructure the event before its return in the fall of 2023.

“Since Island Gallery West moved off the Island, we are the only gallery left, so we may change the name to something else and do some restructuring,” Razze said.

The Artists’ Guild, an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was formed in 1989 to promote and support creative processes by bringing together all artists to share experiences and expertise and work together to develop and promote the artistic community. The AGAMI Gallery is located at 5414 Marina Drive in Holmes Beach and displays member artwork.

Art Walk showcases local talent

Art Walk showcases local talent

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Art, Entertainment.

HOLMES BEACH – The Feb. 10 Art Walk brought locals and visitors to two art galleries to see the best of Island art.

Participating businesses around the Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island and Island Gallery West that normally close earlier stayed open later for the event, which repeats the second Friday of each month.

The Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island

The Artists’ Guild gallery is hosting several activities this month as part of its Paint the Town event, sponsored by Bradenton Arts & Culture, a division of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau:

  • Daily artist demos in front of the gallery – Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.;
  • Gallery competitions – vote for your favorite locally-inspired subjects;
  • Paint Arounds – Fridays from 3-5 p.m., five artists collaborate on five paintings;
  • Kid’s activity – papier-mâché Fridays from 3-5 p.m.;
  • Plein aire artists – Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., locations to be announced at www.amiartistsguildgallery.com.

“We had a great day with our Paint-a-Round today to kick off the Art Walk,” Guild member artist Joanne Wilhelm said. “We have five artists who paint a little, then they switch. So, each work is actually done by five artists. After it’s finished, we raffle it off. We also did papier-mâché with the children today, which was a great time.”

The Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization at 5414 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. For more information, call 941-778-6694 or visit the gallery website.

Island Gallery West

Island Gallery West (IGW) offers live music in the parking lot as well as wine and snacks for visitors to enjoy while they chat with member artists and shop the gallery for special works of art to purchase and take home to have a visual reminder of the Island.

Art Walk showcases local talent
Visitors to Island Gallery West enjoyed wine and snacks while they mingled with the resident artists at last week’s Art Walk in Holmes Beach. – Jason Schaffer | Sun

February’s featured artist, Karen Beach, has her work on display in the front of the gallery, and anyone who couldn’t make the Art Walk can view the display through the end of February.

IGW also has something special this month with non-member artists invited to showcase their work for the first time in the gallery: Debra Rhoads, who focuses on Florida’s beautiful birds and sunsets; Gail Curry, who calls her design style “Fluid Geometrics” and Lynn Coppinger, who works in a variety of art mediums. Coppinger has since been juried into full membership in the gallery, and is now its newest member artist. Also showing her work this month is Cosette Kosiba, who is displaying her pastel paintings.

The gallery is located at 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, call 941-778-6648 or visit the gallery website.

Galleries hold final Art Walk of season

Galleries hold final Art Walk of season

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Art, Entertainment.

HOLMES BEACH – The April 8 Art Walk was the final one of the season with the walks resuming in November, but there was plenty to see before the break.

The Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island and Island Gallery West proudly displayed the work of their featured monthly member artists in the front window of each gallery. Visitors had a chance to meet with not only the featured artists but many other gallery member artists as well and visit other local shops that stayed open later for the monthly art walk.

Artists’ Guild Gallery of Anna Maria Island: Marianne Hiland

With watercolor as her medium of choice, Artists’ Guild Gallery of Anna Maria Island’s April feature artist Marianne Hiland uses vibrant colors to bring life to her subject matter. A Guild member for 12 years, Hiland hasn’t been painting her whole life like many artists whose work is hanging on the walls of local galleries. In fact, she didn’t even paint until 12 years ago after retiring.

Galleries hold final Art Walk of season
Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island’s featured artist for April, Marianne Hiland, displays some of her watercolor work at the gallery in Holmes Beach. –  Jason Schaffer | Sun

“I was in publishing my whole career, working for different publishers including the National Geographic Society,” said Hiland. “I was always involved in wordsmithing, so as soon as I retired, I shifted to the visual.”

Hiland says she chose watercolors after gifting her husband with art supplies as a retirement present. After he realized art wasn’t for him, she grabbed what they already had and set to work.

Hiland’s feature exhibit is on display and all works are available for purchase at the Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island located at 5414 Marina Drive. For more information, call 941-778-6694 or visit the gallery online.

Island Gallery West: Pat O’Neill

Featured artist Pat O’Neill’s inspirations for his acrylic works of art include the beach, animals from around the world and anything else that happens to be on his mind. Rather than paint from photographs, O’Neill prefers to draw inspiration from his imagination. Some of his favorite subjects include animals, from African lions to local shorebirds.

Galleries hold final Art Walk of season
Island Gallery West’s featured artist for April, Pat O’Neill, displays some of his acrylic paintings during the April Art Walk. – Jason Schaffer | Sun

“I love painting all kinds of subjects. I don’t want to stick to just one thing so I’m always channeling myself to do something new,” said O’Neill, an artist since the age of six and a member of the Gallery for the past six years. “I like to use acrylic paint because it dries fast and allows me to paint in layers.”

You can view or purchase O’Neill’s work at Island Gallery West at 5368 Gulf Drive. For more information on O’Neill or the gallery, call 941-778-6648 or visit the gallery online. 

Monthly Art Walks return to Holmes Beach in November. Both galleries continue to feature different artists every month throughout the year. 

Art Walk features Abgott, Karpay

Art Walk features Abgott, Karpay

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Art, Entertainment.

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.”

Art Walk features Abgott, Karpay
Island Gallery West’s February featured artist, Joanna Karpay, with her exhibit titled, “For the Birds.” – Jason Schaffer | Sun

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.

Island Gallery West art walk returns

Island Gallery West art walk returns

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Art, Entertainment.

HOLMES BEACH – After almost two years, Island Gallery West’s monthly art walk event returned on Nov. 12 to a large crowd of artists and art lovers ready to get back to a pre-COVID normal.

 Art lovers enjoyed a glass of wine as they relaxed in lawn chairs in the parking lot, tapping their feet and singing along to music performed by Chip Ragsdale. Inside, many of the 28 member artists were on hand to discuss their work with guests and socialize with other members.

Island Gallery West’s members seem more like a family when you speak to them. Even though they work in every kind of media, they all have one thing in common: A love for art. 

“We’re finally getting back after a couple of years of not having these. We didn’t really know what the success would be, but it’s been a great success,” said Darryl Goldman, a member artist at IGW who specializes in oil paintings. “People are coming in, they’re buying some art, they’re enjoying walking around, so we’re really happy with that.”

All 28 member artists are featured at the gallery at all times and works from all the artists are always available for purchase. Most artists also do commission works upon request. From a portrait of your pet to a painting of your favorite photograph, there is an artist that can make your project come to life at the very highest of skill levels. It’s as simple as finding the artist’s style you prefer, then telling them what you want. If they can make it happen, they will.

“This gallery is special because we have an amazing group of artists, I just love everybody here. We really try to keep high-quality art, we don’t want anything to be ‘crafty,’ ” member artist Janet Flickinger said. “I think we were really missing a lot of that personal interaction during COVID. To meet the people and talk to them makes the art more personable to them, and that’s really important.”

Any artist who is interested in becoming a member of Island Gallery West is welcome to apply. A committee of member artists reviews all applications and will decide the status of all applicants. While some artists have been members for years, others have only been with the gallery for a few weeks.

“I recently moved from Indiana to Florida as a permanent resident. I was a member of a co-op for 20 years in Indiana and it was a home environment. I just knew I needed to find another home like that,” said Dawn Gerardot, who at 12 days is the newest member of IGW. “It’s just like what I’m used to, there’s a high quality of art in here and it makes me feel comfortable.”

Island Gallery West is open every Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on the gallery and its members, visit islandgallerywest.com.