THE 28th
ANNUAL STUDIO WALTZ
FREE TOUR OF THE ARTS
Local Artists –
Dunedin/Palm Harbor
The Art Waltz is limited to local artists with home studios who are open to sharing what they do with the general public. This is not a gallery exhibit.
10 Artists
7 Stops
Check our map for all the stops in Palm Harbor & Dunedin!
Open Hours
Daily: 10 am — 4 pm — Saturday ONLY
2023 Dates: March 25th & November 11th
Unique opportunity to see Artists in their Studios!
November 11th Artist’s
Hot Waltz Spots
Joyce Curvin
Mixed Media Sculptor
Joyce Curvin was born and raised in St. Petersburg into a family that encouraged recycling, creativity and nature. She and her sister spent countless hours doing a variety of crafts, learning to sew, build and invent with all sorts of tools and materials. The backyard was always full of animals from chickens to rabbits to the family dog. It was a great way to grow up. Joyce took part in private and group art lessons all through school and continued through college with a special emphasis on ceramics and then business. She earned a BBA from Stetson University and later enjoyed a successful career in the creative field of visual merchandising and store design, working both for independent retailers and larger malls. All the while, she continued to create art—experimenting with different mediums and techniques, finally leading to the world of paper mache and mixed media sculpture. She is best known for her dogs, cats, and birds—her Art-Official Pets ©.
Connie Parkinson
Lampworking – Beads & Glass
In 1995, after years of collecting beads from all over the country, Connie Parkinson finally made the leap and took her first beadmaking class from a local lamp worker in the Tampa Bay area. From the very first bead, she knew that she had found her true passion: “lampworking” or the art of melting and manipulating glass in a flame.
Connie makes her creations at home in her own personal glass studio and prides herself on never mass-producing her inventories. She sells her work in galleries and specialty stores and participates in juried art shows around the State.
“Lampworking” is the art of melting and manipulating glass in a flame. The glass is wound around a steel welding rod (called a mandrel). When the bead is complete, it is annealed in a kiln, and when cooled is removed from the mandrel, cleaned, and made into jewelry.
Melissa Miller Nece
Colored Pencil Artist
Since 1990, Melissa’s primary work has been done in colored pencil, a versatile medium that usually draws comments like “I can’t believe that’s colored pencil.” She uses only the best professional quality and most lightfast pencils. As a guest at Connie’s, Melissa will be showing small work, reproductions, and note cards while working on a large colored pencil drawing. Find out about her materials, tools, techniques, and about her classes at the Dunedin Fine Art Center.
The subjects of Melissa’s work are based on her own photographs; most are of activity on Florida beaches. But sometimes, other things insist on being expressed, and she uses abstract marks to convey ideas that are not literally visible.
While her primary medium is colored pencil, she still also paints in both oils and acrylics. Water-soluble oils have become her preferred medium for plein air painting, but sometimes she’ll use watercolor just for a change.
Shari Gaines
Plein Air Oil Painter
I would classify my painting style as Painterly Realism leaning towards Impressionism. My preferred medium is oil because it is so malleable, akin to sculpting. I like to challenge myself by painting various genres including landscape, still life, portraits from life, and figure work, often combining several in one painting. One of my favorite ways to paint is outdoors on location (en plein air) capturing special moments as they happen. Like the great Impressionists, I find painting in the elements a thrill. One has to contend with ever-changing light, wind, rain, clouds, bugs, and interesting onlookers. I’m often spotted on the local beaches or downtown areas with my easel, brushes, and paints at the ready.
Mikell Herrick
Photographer & Palm Frond Art
Mikell Herrick is a self-taught photographer who takes most of her pictures right in her backyard, on the shore of Lake Rhonda, with a focus on the many birds that visit her every day. Sharing her images through a wide variety of prints and note cards, you can expect to see intimate views of wildlife, beautiful scenes from the natural world around us, and even the amusing antics of the squirrels and cats that call her place home. After retiring to Dunedin in 2014, she also took up painting Palm fronds and seed pods, recycling this native “yard waste” into a variety of colorful & whimsical fish and masks, to become iconic Florida art.
Patty McAnally
Ceramic Artist
Patty taught Art in Cherry Hill, NJ Public Schools for 17 years. Her clay work reflects the many influences she has had over the years of working in clay.
Her work is mostly functional that can be for daily us or decorative purposes. She throws on the wheel using hand-building techniques, and at times combines the two techniques together.
The textures and color are what give each piece a distinct style and look. She loves making pottery and currently uses the Dunedin Fine Art Center as a hub for her creations. Working clay has been a constant source of joy, learning, and change, and allows her to express her creative talents.
Essie Bergen
Whimsical Watercolor & Acrylic Artist
Essie is a local watercolor and acrylic artist who loves sharing her passion for art with everyone. Her “garage studio” layout is a direct reflection of this, designed to give an open air experience that infuses joy and happiness with each encounter. Every painted character has a unique personality brimming with delight. Her art is inspired by the nature around her and the world. Several of her painted birds are of the little feathered friends who frequently visit her front yard garden, some even inspired by her neighbor- Mikell Herrick’s nature photography. You can expect to find a variety of artwork in Essie’s studio : originals, prints, cards , magnets and much more including locally inspired work! In addition to painting animals Essie also creates wooden coastal milage signs.
Location Map
See our interactive TOUR MAP for detailed directions
Evelyn Dufner
Acrylic & Mixed Media Artist
Evelyn is fascinated by the collective experiences and stories that weave through the human experience. As a storyteller, she often plays with concepts of self-awareness, evolution and exposure, sensuality, vulnerability, and whimsy. Her work exhibits similar narratives, providing windows to her own sense of self in order to connect to the rest of the world.
Her current body of work utilizes acrylic, ink, paper, stencils and collage to create texture and contrast. She is known for working in bold, vibrant colors, often blending directly on the canvas, sometimes pushing, washing, or dripping medium, or pollinating brushes with different paint colors.
Carol Sackman
The Mosaic House of Dunedin
Carol’s life revolves around art, so much so that her Dunedin, Florida residence has, in itself, become an enormous ongoing work of art that is now a year-round tourist attraction that hosts the area’s annual Studio Waltz and open house sale. Working primarily in mosaic, fiber and painting, the interior and exterior walls of the house are a sight to behold, not to mention the home’s cabinetry, closets, and other such fixtures. In 2013, she and her husband, artist Blake White, were commissioned to create and install a large mosaic mural for the Tampa Aquarium. In stating “Art is for everybody,” Ms. Sackman goes on to say, “It’s up to you. There are no more parent rules. Do what pleases you; what makes you happy.”
Blake White
The Mosaic House of Dunedin
See Blake’s incredible mosaic-covered studio, walls & floor & his 25’ long mosaic wall. He has evolved from painting walls to telling detailed stories of life, myths & his fantasies in the mosaics & other work he creates. He works with tile, glass, found & discarded objects & broken china that friends leave for him. Blake is a self taught artist who has always been fascinated with mosaic & glass & has found satisfaction in the work he created with these materials. He says that his wife Carol’s artwork has inspired him to pursue his own exciting work. Blake, Carol & their 5 cats live in a brightly covered mosaic covered house on a large pond in Dunedin, Florida
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Dunedin’s
Waltz History
The 28th Studio Waltz
Free Tour of the Arts
Take the opportunity to visit and talk with nine (8) well-established local artists at six (6) exciting studio locations in Dunedin and Palm Harbor.
Saturday, March 25th, and November 11th, this free event allows you to meet artists from varying disciplines who will talk with you about their creative process, allow you to view work in progress, and enjoy home studio exhibits. They will have reasonably priced, original works from ceramics to jewelry, paintings, photographs, mosaics, collages, and whimsical sculptures, all available.
There is something for everyone from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with some light refreshments at various stops. A clear, easy-to-follow map is available.
Blog
Press Releases
November 2022 Annual Tour of 9!
With a successful Spring Studio Waltz we are excited to see the start of the next round of art, artists, and art exploration for the fall. Bryan Voliton (who had his first Studio Waltz in March) had a significant shift in his life and will be sharing Evelyn Dufner's...
Studio Waltz is Back in Action – 2021
Introducing the 2021 Artist line up! We are excited that we can open our studios again with some precautions. Many of our artists would appreciate if you remain considerate of others and wear a mask in tighter areas. If you are vaccinated we hope you will still use good judgement. Our artists are well established in their art and many teach locally at art centers and colleges.
Carol & Blake Get a Little Bike Tour Love
Carol & Blake get a some attention from Dunedin Bike Tours as a stop on their Historic Bike Tour!