Welsh artist depicts Sarasota County for Historic Preservation Month

In celebration of Historic Preservation Month, Olwen Hughes set Sarasota County down in ink.

An accomplished artist, Hughes has created 10 original ink sketches of different historic sites around the county. Her drawings—along with 18 sketches she completed for Historic Spanish Point previously—will be on display Saturday, May 2 at Historic Spanish Point.

“It’s a paradise. I hope the beauty of the place comes over to people,” Olwen Hughes said.

Hughes was born in South Wales. Now, Hughes and her husband, Geoffrey Poole, live in Leicester, England, but they own a house in Gulf Gate and have been coming to Sarasota on vacation since 2008. Hughes said she’s been drawing since she was a child; when the Welsh winters were rainy, she amused herself indoors. Since around 1918,  she’s done 1,600 to 1,700 sketches.

When she moved to Leicester, Hughes was commissioned by the editor of The Mercury, the local paper, to do sketches for the newspaper.

“I said yes, not dreaming it would go on for 30 years,” she said. “Now, it’s like a disease with me. I can’t stop.”

When she has peace and quiet, and a clear vision of her subject, Hughes said she can finish a drawing in a day. For her representation of the county, Hughes tried to do a different sketch a day to get an accurate depiction of Sarasota.

“Doing the drawings for this location was a delight,” she said. “The places were beautiful, the people were pleasant.”

Her favorite location was the John and Mable Ringling Estate, she said.

Hughes said the county has changed within the 30 years that they have vacationed here, and that she wanted to be sure to record those changes.

“What is here is very special, and the people living here should appreciate what they’ve got,” she said.

IF YOU GO

What: “Preservation Ink” art exhibit by Olwen Hughes
When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2
Where: Historic Spanish Point, 337 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.