About Grace

Grace McKee has enjoyed being creative all her life. Her sister Fran was her first mentor. Now her husband Archie cheers her on.

Reading and writing and an eventual degree in English brought pleasure through creating pictures with words. As her friend Penny Fletcher says, "A writer's job is to paint a word picture for the reader to see."

Even as a technology instructor, Grace was drawn to the artistic side. She taught computer graphics and communications and has run a Web design business, truly enjoying the artistic side of these endeavors.

But Grace's true love is creating visual images, whether acrylic or watercolor paintings or pencil or charcoal drawings, whether on paper or canvas or entire walls.

Grace studied for many years with Jo Tarabula, AWS. She served as the charter president of the Ruskin Art League with Jo as sponsor.

She found inspiration in the work of her friend Fred Rothenbush, a fifth-generation artist. Even with his vast talent, Fred is and has always been supportive of his fellow artists including children.

Grace has most recently been inspired by the talent of Joanna Coke, a gifted artist and teacher. Joanna's gift to her students is her outstanding ability to teach technique and impart knowledge without robbing the student of his/her own style.

Showing My Artwork

Sunday's Restaurant, Seventh Avenue, Ybor City, SAC Art Exhibit:  Three-Member Show, April-May 2011: 5 acrylic paintings, 4 gyotaku, and 2 mixed media.  

Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, Florida, Feed the Soul Juried Art Show, Jan 20 - March 26, 2011:  "Banyan Cathedral" (Medium:  acrylic painting).

Apollo Beach Manatee Art Festival, March 2011

Art Center of Manatee, Bradenton, Florida, Bloomers Show: "Palm with Bird" and "Bird of Paradise" (Medium:  acrylic paintings).

Art Expo, Kingspoint, Sun City Center, Florida, "Don't Be Koi."

"Bird of Paradise" Original Acrylic Painting being offered at South Shore Gallery, Apollo Beach, Florida.

Arianna's Rugs and Decor Artist's Corner, Apollo Beach, Florida: Giclees on canvas, giclees on archival paper, notecards.

Apollo Beach Manatee Festival of the Arts, March 13 - 14, 2010.

Solo Exhibit, Jan. 16 - Feb. 15, 2010, Hillsborough Community College SouthShore Campus

View Photos of Reception

Creative! MiraBay, Apollo Beach, Florida, Big Draw Event: "Orchids and Broken Ice," "Shanti - Peace," "Pengyou - Friends," and "South of Rocky Point" (acrylic paintings).

SouthShore Regional Library, SouthShore Arts Council Show: "Shanti - Peace," "Pengyou - Friends" and "Bromeliad - Potted" (acrylic paintings).

ArtCenter Manatee, Bradenton, Florida, Altered Functions: "Can You See Yourself in a Porsche?" (mixed media).

ArtCenter Manatee, Bradenton, Florida, Fall 2008 Show: "His Happiness" (acrylic painting) and "Headed for Luchenbach" (portrait in charcoal, pencil, and conte crayon).

Art Organizations

Charter Member, Friends of Asian Art, Ringling Museum, Sarasota, Florida

Member, Art Center Manatee, Bradenton, Florida

Member, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, Florida

Member, The Nature Printing Society

Member, Ybor Art Association

Vice President, SouthShore Arts Council, SouthShore, Florida

Charter President, Ruskin Arts Council, Ruskin, Florida