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Expressing one's self through art

By LOGAN NEILL
Published November 20, 2006

WEEKI WACHEE - Four-year-old Tiffany Anders knew just what she wanted to paint the moment she got to the kids art booth. Dipping her brush into a jar of paint she began smearing her canvas in earnest.

"I'm painting a green mermaid for you," she told her mother.

Whether you were an artisan working with ceramics or just a child wanting to create art, there was perhaps no better place in Hernando County this weekend to express yourself than the Fall Harvest of Art at Weeki Wachee Springs.

Near perfect weather enticed several hundred visitors to turn out to the show that welcomed about 50 local and regional artists. From fine art and sculpture to pottery, woodworking and other fine crafts, the show offered a little bit of everything.

"It's a very comfortable place for an art festival because it's not so crowded," said Spring Hill stained glass artist Marsha Kraus.

Kraus, who has exhibited at the show the past three years, said that business had been fairly brisk throughout the weekend.

Though most of Sunday's attendees came for specifically for the art festival, some visitors to the attraction were unaware what was going on until they got to the gate.

"I'm happy they only charged us $3 to get in," said Frank Berle, a vacationer from Columbus, Ohio. "They should do this more often."

The art festival was the 33rd sponsored by the Spring Hill Art League, which uses the proceeds from the event to fund art scholarships for Hernando students.

Spring Hill artist Fred Mannarino spent Sunday afternoon greeting visitors to a booth that displayed two dozen of his paintings. His most popular works include colorful street scenes done in cubist style.

"It is just a hobby, but when you work so hard it's nice to have people look at them," Mannarino said.

Best of show honors went to Spring Hill artist Joann Caldwell, who won for her watercolor creation, Multi-Harry. Caldwell said she created the painting by using multiple images of her late husband and apply layers of color washes over it.

"I consider this a tribute to him," Caldwell said of the award. "He was always my inspiration."

Logan Neill can be reached at 848-1435 or lneill@sptimes.com.

[Last modified November 19, 2006, 23:02:30]