Keeping in Touch

Oranges froze on the trees, strawberry plants killed with the frost, animals at the zoo needed help to withstand the cold and hundreds of dead fish washed up on the shore as a result of cold weather. Does this sound like the Florida you know? However the cold has passed. Yesterday it was 27C and we were sun drenched.

I’m staying in a condo on Hickory Bay in Bonita Shores. Here are a few photos taken of the grounds at the condo and of the area around the bay.

I'm renting in the building on the left which is on Hickory Bay

Condo pool and bay

Condo tennis court (you won't find me there)

Across the street

Down the street  where I walk

A busy bee

Birds of a feather flock together

The main reason I love this area is that it has a very large arts community. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I am out painting. I’m taking abstract painting at the Bonita Art League (I am now a member there), a watercolour class at continuing education at a high school, and I’m painting with a group of artists who have recently rented a hall at a church. There are around twenty of us and it is a fun group. At the end of each session we display our art and there is time for a critique. There are a few Canadians in the group.

As for the abstract class – well I haven’t produced anything I like as yet however the classes are fun and messy! The goal for the first two classes was to loosen up. Put paint on the paper and generally “create chaos”. Future classes will concentrate on simplifying the chaos (refine and enhance) by applying the elements and principles of design to these warm up exercises. Michael Domina is the instructor and he does have a couple of art web sites. Michael says to be spontaneous – let go, no rules, no judging, and experiment – don’t try to make a recognizable shape, LET CHAOS HAPPEN. I have no problem making the chaos – it’s the refining part that throws me.


The watercolour class is one where the instructor does not demo. She goes around the class providing individual help. We can copy one of her paintings or do our own. I did try copying one of her beautiful paintings (a butterfly) but did not have any luck so I decided to do a Tibetan lady. Here is a photo of my efforts so far. I know one eye is larger than the other – so what else is new?
 

Other activities include attending art shows, line dancing, walking around the bay, and playing Mah Jong. I hope to get in the pool soon. So much to do and so little time!