Punta Gorda -- an artist's parardise

There is something about small towns with rivers running through them that attract artists --- add spectacular sunsets, palm trees , year-round warm weather and historical charm and you magnetize them.  While I painted and drew in my earlier years, life and career pointed me in a different direction.  But once relocated to Punta Gorda,  I found myself  easily reconnecting  to these early interests especially because of the accessibility of artist resources and subjects. 

 

I started taking painting classes at the Visual Art center Punta Gorda first in watercolor, then drawing with Bob Cassell, and later oil painting.  While in California for nearly a year I studied painting and drawing with several artists there as well.   But it was truly Punta Gorda that brought back the artist in me, and if you just wander around you would see why.

Tomorrow, for instance, the third annual Peace River Arts Festival, one of many art events will take place in Laishley Park.  Many of Punta Gorda's local artists will be displaying there--more on that following the festival. Then,  there are  the murals scattered about town noted in an earlier posting and the galleries.   In addition, to three galleries at the Visual Art Center, there is the Joe Matthis Gallery in the Swiss Connection building on Olympia, the Sea Grape Gallery-- a cooperative of 25 working artists, with work in all art media, Vicki Glynn's Gallery-featuring her own work as well as several other artists, Pressellers- a favorite lunch restaurant of mine as well- and many more.   Punta Gorda is also the home of many artist studios including the Red Hat Studio run by Liz Hutchinson, offering art classes.