FMB art group to greet over 40 artists
The local art association will be the first stop of the week for the artists participating in the first Paint the Beach…Sandcastles to Shrimpboats, a plein air festival in Fort Myers Beach.
From Nov. 9-11 plein air, or outdoor, painters will be painting at various locations around the Beach. Using their favorite mediums they will try to capture the beauty and spirit of our beach town.The sunshine, gulf breezes and colorful vistas should make for some beautiful paintings.Everyone is welcome to watch as these artists paint.
On Thursday afternoon,Nov. 11, on the Fish House Restaurantdeck in Santini Marina Plaza, artist Lynn Pittard will be giving a free plein air demonstration.
On Friday Nov. 12, they will take their finished and framed paintings to the festival tent at Santini Marina Plaza to be hung and judged. Fish Tale Marina and Santini Marina Plaza have sponsored a beautifulGala Awards Ceremony and Collectors Preview Party with hor d’oeurves, music by the Naples Philharmonic String Quartet and a cash bar at 6-9 p.m. Friday evening.All the paintngs done the previous days will be on display and for sale that night as well as on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tickets for the Gala Awards Ceremony and Collectors Preview are $15. and will be for sale at the Fort Myers Beach Art Association and Fish Tale Marina.
Six of the beach artists have donated paintngs to be raffled at the Paint the Beach event…Lee Ackert, Joan Handel, Sue Pink, Neil Walling, Kathy Ross and Terry Shattuck.These paintings will be on display at the gallery until Nov. 12 when they will be moved to the festival tent. Marina. You can buy raffle tickets at $2 each or six for $10 where Gala tickets are sold.
Many of the same artists will participate in a Quick Draw event on Saturday where they will have only four hours to complete a painting. These will be hung and judged at the festival tent from 1 to 3 p.m. then be for sale as well.
At the gallery the Fall Members Show will be on display until Nov. 12, when theFall Judged Show is received and hung Nov. 13 to Dec. 2.Stop in to see and perhaps take home one of their beautiful paintngs of the area.
Member Artists will be teaching experimental techniques, oil, watercolorand “finishing paintings”during the season.A new class with Sue Pink, NWS,FWS,TWS,TaWS has been added on Nov. 15-17. Sue willbe teaching her award winning techniques in abstract painting.Cost is $150. for three days. TheFort Myers Beach Art Association will again host Famous Artist workshops starting in JanuarywithDale Laitinen NWS WW at the gallery and in MarchLana Grow AWS ISEA.
The gallery is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. Additional information on the workshops, groups and classes can be found on the website at www.fortmyersbeachart.com or by calling the gallery at 463-3909.The gallery is on Donora Street at the blinking light off Estero Blvd.