Artists, Organizations & Business Directory
Camille Blue Amy is from Kentucky and spends her winters in Punta Gorda, Florida and summers in Portland, Ontario. She and her husband, John, are the parents of three grown children and have three grandchildren. She has been writing since she was 70 years old and had two books completed and published. Previously, she was an art dealer and gallery owner. She enjoys golf, boating, stained glass and painting and writing children’s books.
Her first book is Marshall and his green high-tops illustrated by Lorena Pugh and her second is Fish Faces was in collaboration with Dr. Brian Ardel, M.D. and underwater photographer.
The mission of Charlotte Arts is to encourage, strengthen, promote, and foster cultural and artistic opportunities for all residents and visitors in Charlotte County.
Contributions benefit local arts events and programs including:
– Art in Public Places
– Art on the Harbor
– Cafe Philo, Cafe Theo, and cafe Socrates
– Expressions from Beautiful Minds Art Therapy Program
– The Chamber of The Arts
– Dancing with the Charlotte Stars
– Grants for Great Ideas classroom grants for integration of arts and humanities projects
Gina L Battle. is an abstract & performance artist, a freelance writer, and model. Abstract art gives her a voice to express herself through intuition and emotions. Painting gives her permission to finally draw outside the lines, allowing her limitless freedom to create. The intention is to provide thought-provoking, diverse work, and to “have a lot of fun doing it!”
She is a member of the Downtown Merchants Association in Punta Gorda, Florida, a thriving, exhilarating arts community. Her studio is located at the Artisans’ Atelier, a working artists studio and gallery. The gallery is open to the public from Monday – Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm. You may come and talk with any of the artists about their individual work.
Every third Thursday of every month, downtown Punta Gorda has a ‘Gallery Walk’ 5-8 PM. 117 W. Olympia, Suite 113, Punta Gorda, FL 33950.
Gina L. Battle debuted at the gallery November 1, 2013, and has sold paintings nationally and internationally to date.
Hopefully, you’ll visit SW Florida and stop by the Artisans Atelier Working Artists Studios and Gallery.
Bion Cantorum performs three choral concerts in Charlotte County each year at First Presbyterian Church, 2230 Harriet Street, Port Charlotte. Pictured is the ensemble at their fourth annual July 4th choral salute, “Of Thee, I Sing.” The group is directed by Roy W. Engler and accompanied by John Renfroe. “Bion Cantorum” means beautiful choral sounds.
Bisque It Studio is family owned and operated by Hank and Liz Weisiger and is located in beautiful Port Charlotte, Florida. Bisque It Studio has been providing Charlotte County, North Port, Englewood, Port Charlotte & Punta Gorda a fun and safe place to express themselves creatively since 2006.
Paul and I retired to Punta Gorda (on the Water) in l997. We have lived on water since he joined IBM in 1967. I have 5 grandchildren. 3 here in FL.w/ my daughter, Michelle and 2 out in Oregon with my son, Tor. I belong to the Arts and Humanities Council and work as a Site coordinator for them. I belong to the Visual Art Center (VAC). I have taught at Edison College, Port Charlotte Cultural Center, Punta Gorda Civic Association and out of my own Studio.
With my career demands, I was not able to pursue my artistic interests until moving to Florida. I began by taking watercolor classes at the Visual Arts Center with Kathy Bostwick, and have attended numerous workshops with other instructors such as Maxine Masterfield, Mary Anne Beckwith, Kathleen Conover, Helga Flower, and Liz Hutchinson, all of whom were a great influence on my work. They helped me enhance my skills and garner acceptance into juried shows and receive awards in exhibitions.
My earlier works were representational florals and botanicals, but as I progress, I find myself doing more abstract realism and non-objective abstracts, which I find challenging and very rewarding.
I am currently a member of the Arts & Humanities Council of Charlotte County, The Charlotte County Art Guild at the Visual Arts Center, and an associate of the Florida Watercolor Society and the International Society of Experimental Artists. In February, 2009, I was the Charlotte County Artist of the Month. In May, 2016, I became a Signature Member of the Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society.
Adult Art Classes and Art in Public Places Exhibit location
As a native Ohio farm girl, I spent much of my time creating my own entertainment. My passions, from the time I was four, were playing my violin, playing outdoors, and playing with paper. My mother would always give me scissors and paper to cut and paste, create some, often times obscure pictures, or just to cut. I remember being fascinated by the shapes that one could form by cutting paper strips, tossing them into the air, and watching them land in strange patterns. Perhaps my interest was only natural since I am partly of Pennsylvania Dutch descent. These Germans brought the paper cutting tradition to America; hence, the name Scherenschnitte which means “the art of paper cutting into decorative designs.”
Eventually, music became my career but it was through music and teaching that I became reconnected with my love of paper. The art teacher, in the school in which I was teaching, brought in some decorative paper, patterns, and some specialized scissors. This was the beginning of the many years in which I have been enjoying creating paper cuts, exploring the history, and the cultures of other countries in which Scherenschnitte is a tradition.
I find that many of the elements of music, such as dynamics, line, harmony, texture, and melody, can be expressed with paper through design, the texture of the paper, colors, etc. Many nights you will find me working on a new cutting after a symphony rehearsal or at the end of a day of teaching.
I am presently a violinist in the Venice Symphony, the music and art teacher at the Good Shepherd Day School, and run my own private music lesson studio. I am a member of the Guild of American Paper Cutters, Art in Public Places, and a recipient of the Art in Public Places Award. My paper cuts have been published in a local magazine. My cutting “Halloween” was recently chosen by the Guild of American Papercutters to be the calendar page for the month of October. This calendar is an International publication.
Self taught artist finally comfortable enough to claim the title and exploring the possibilities…
Decorative painting, furniture, cards, landscape, folk style, and children’s themes, wall art acrylic paintings.
Ballet Training Services
Christina invites you to experience high quality ballet training in a beautiful studio
Located in Punta Gorda, Florida
Programmed Classes for Children through Adult
Beginner through Advanced
Private Ballet Coaching
FREE Enrollment
P.D. LaFleur is the author of four novels and several short stories. A native of New England, LaFleur has enjoyed a diverse career that includes café owner, business consultant, and President/CEO of a Boston-based financial services firm. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and currently lives on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico where he is a frequent lecturer on writing and continues work on a fifth novel.
A professional storyteller and singer-songwriter, Carol Mahler combines entertainment and education in telling Florida folklore. She is the author of three books: “How Do I Follow?” a poetry collection (Peace River Press, 2012); “Guy LaBree: Barefoot Artist of the Florida Seminoles,” nonfiction (University Press of Florida, 2010); and “Adventures in the Charlotte Harbor Watershed: A Story of Four Animals and Their Neighborhood,” a children’s book (Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, 2008, 2009). Her poems and articles have been published in magazines and newspapers; in addition, she researches, writes, edits, and designs books for the DeSoto County Historical Society.
http://www.bonnierodgersart.com
Work is representational with brilliant colors. I paint the fabric of my life, so whatever is subject that touches my heart I paint. Florida has now given me so much more to paint.
Living on a bridgeless, barrier island affords Linda Soderquist opportunities to observe wildlife and be inspired by pristine beaches. Sea turtles and shorebirds are frequently found in her watercolors, while nature’s wonders underwater also provide fascinating subjects. As she experiments with colorful washes, scenes of the island emerge in her work. Coaxing out the bright light through negative painting helps to portray the beauty of her natural surroundings.
Linda received her B.A. in Fine Art and Education from Illinois Wesleyan University and an M. Ed. from the University of South Florida. After teaching gifted elementary students for many years, Linda retired and began to focus on her painting career. She has illustrated three books on Florida’s turtles and regularly exhibits paintings in shows and galleries.
Linda spent her childhood summers in northern Minnesota, where she first nurtured a deep appreciation for nature. She has lived on Florida’s Little Gasparilla Island for over twenty-five years, observing nature, beachcombing, painting, and taking care of the island’s sea turtles and shorebirds…a never-ending inspiration.
I enjoy painting in plein air, using oils, acrylics or water colors. I paint still life, landscape or seascapes. I consider myself to be a self taught artist. My Abstractism is a vivid of hues fluidly applied over what most would consider a finished painting. The outcome is a burst of vibrant colors juxtaposed, rendering a magnificent composition of tranquility. I suggest that you not look at the painting, but rather through it. One becomes mesmerized as you journey in the canvas. Please feel free to visit my forum, share your comments, ideas, thoughts. If you would like for me to paint a painting for you, send me an email, I enjoy commission work. Sorry I do not do portraits, however I would be willing to paint ones energy.
Click photos in the upper bar to enjoy examples of my art.
Thank you for visiting my web page! becky
I started seeing things differently when I was a little girl. I started photographing things at the age of 7. The first camera I owned was a 110. I would use the full roll of 24 exposures of my cat. My father wasn’t happy to see them because the cat lived with us. My dilemma started in high school as they only offered two years of photography classes. I repeated the advanced class just to see if I could get more incite on tools and techniques and in my fourth year I was an assistant to the teacher. The guidance counselor tried talking me out of taking photography in college and stated, “You won’t make any money.” I didn’t listen to him. I went on and received my associates in applied science in photography with honors. I did listen to my advisor who said I would make more money in advertising photography, which prompted me to minor in fine arts photography. My heart was in living in New York City but I took my dads advise and moved back to upstate NY. I took a job at a locally owned store that did portraits, framing, sold cameras, and accessories. That business came to an end and closed their doors like many mom and pop stores did as they couldn’t continue to compete after 90 years. I ended up going into dentistry but never lost the desire to help others see the world through my eyes of the lens. My husband bought me my first digital camera over 15 years ago and I told him to take it back as I am old fashioned and love my negatives and slides. However, I still use that camera today. A dear friend of mine asked to see some of my work, and she was blown away. Through her encouragement, I am now showing them to you. Enjoy
Ever-evolving as an artist, my endeavors include something I’ve always wanted to try: portrait painting.
Bev Yankwitt moved to Charlotte County in 1985, and spent many years working in the medical field at two local hospitals. Upon leaving the medical industry, Bev obtained a license as a Financial Advisor and joined her husband working in the financial sector. Bev recently retired and decided it was time to pursue her true love, art. She works in oils and mixed media, and especially enjoys doing abstract art in mixed media. Bev considers experimental abstract art to be the most unique, original expression an artist can render. Since spending time pursuing her art in earnest, Beverly’s works have been accepted into several juried shows and she has won many awards, including the Sun Coast Watercolor Show where she received a prestigious Honorable Mention Award. Bev is an active member of several art society organizations, including the Visual Arts Center, the Von Liebig Art Center, and the Florida Watercolor Society. She is a Signature Member of the International Society of Experimental Artists, and also the Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society. She is also a Past President of the Arts & Humanities Council of Charlotte County. Bev enjoys teaching classes in abstract art at the Visual Arts Center and at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County.