Painting on a grand scale in East County

Waterlefe resident Leslie Adkins has gone fishing before, and she has eaten fish, but until Feb. 20, she never had used a fish to paint.

With a group of 20 women during a Girls Night Out event Feb. 20 at the Waterlefe Golf and River Club clubhouse, she wasn’t quite sure how she was going to take a real fish and use it to make art on a fabric canvas.

“I have no idea how it’s going to turn out,” Adkins said as the fish-painting class began.

Adkins listened as Kelly Hunt, of Painting with a Fish, took the women through the process step by step.

“We take real fish locally caught around the area, and I teach them how to make an impression and create their own fish rubbing and art,” Hunt said.

Women were given either a sheepshead or hogfish to use for making their print. They chose their own colors, and then the fun began.

Painting a fish was a “totally new experience” for Waterlefe resident Gisele Sweeney.

“I was very curious about doing art with the fish,” she said. “You can play with your imagination.”

She chose to use bronze, yellow and red to make her fish stand out, and she wanted to stay away from using blues because several other women were using different shades of blues. She painted the fish, placed the fabric on it then rubbed the paint from the fish into the fabric.

Waterlefe resident Connie Carkonen read an article that piqued her interest.

“I knew this would be a good [event] just by reading the article,” she said. “Seeing the real fish in the pictures, I was getting excited about it.”

Hunt said one of the best parts of her classes is that anyone can do it no matter the age or artistic abilities.

“They all turn out different and all turn out beautifully,” she said.

Waterlefe resident Jodi Carroll chose teal and gray for her fish, so they would match the colors of her home and represent water.

Carroll saw the fish-painting process at an art show in Bradenton and decided to suggest the activity to the club’s activities committee.

“We’re a very artistic community, so it’s cool to do an activity that everyone can participate in,” Carroll said.

The event was also an opportunity for residents to meet one another, which Adkins said she appreciated. She and her husband, Paul, moved to the area in August from Charleston, N.C.

After putting on the final touches on her blue, yellow and black sheepshead fish print, Adkins stood back and admired her work.

“I think it’s fabulous,” she said. “I love doing this.”

Some women were going to use their prints for display while others would use it for craft items, such as pillows.