Artist of The Month

Marianne Graff

The PebbleCreek Art Club is very pleased to award Artist of the Month for January 2018. He is a valued inspiration to both the arts community as well as visitors to our shows and exhibits. So, it is fitting that he should lead us into the New Year with his creative and beautifully executed botanicals and flowers in Colored Pencil.

Here, in his own words, is David Wittmer:

“I was born in the Chicago area and, as a child, liked to watch my dad paint with oils. He was a painting contractor and the time between Thanksgiving and New Years was a slow time for him. I would watch my Dad mix colors to make them perfect for the landscapes he loved to paint. And that began my interest in painting.

“After high school I was drafted into the Chicago Cubs farm system and had two great years before an injury ended my hopes of playing professional baseball. I still enjoyed playing sports, so baseball, tennis, golf and even volleyball filled the need to play a sport. I also dabbled in painting using the same brushes and oils my Dad had used. But, as with most of us, family and work took me away from these activities.

“In the 90s my wife Claudia and I moved to Seattle and opened our own men’s clothing store. Again, the use of color and pattern became crucial in displaying racks, windows and table displays. A form of art was back in my life. June of 2002 brought us to PebbleCreek where sports again played a big interest in my daily life, but in 2014 a series of illnesses kept me away from them. I needed something new in my daily life and decided to join the Art Club. I began with a couple of classes given by Marsha Lyons. Colored Pencil was a new medium for me and I loved it. And then a class by Sherri Van Schaick opened and I wasn’t just hooked-—I began an artistic love affair!”

“Gardening was and is still enjoyable for me so it follows that I enjoy painting flowers. But slowly, I’m trying to branch out into other subjects. And, why not? With many thanks to the Art Club members, their encouragement and instruction, I have found a venue where I can display my pictures and admire the work of others.”

David’s delicate coloring and masterful rendering of his subjects are a constant source of pride and delight for the members of the Art Club. You are invited to view David’s art work in the Art Club display window of the Creative Arts Center and in the Tuscany and Eagle’s Nest clubhouses.

Thank you, carolers

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Ralph “Skip” Gault

I would like to thank all the Christmas carolers that visited my home on December 10. I have a challenged 42-year-old non-verbal daughter that just went “crazy” with excitement.

We shared some apple cider and cookies, a number of well sung carols, and they were on their way again.

Again, thank you so much; it meant so much to my daughter and me.