Hundreds turn out for annual Estero Fine Art Show

Patrons peruse artist's booths Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015 at the Miromar Design Center in Estero, Fla. The 16th Bi-Annual Estero Fine Art Show took place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. concluding Sunday at 5 p.m. The art show will exhibited pieces from 130 artists. (Corey Perrine/Staff)

J.K. McGreens' artistic career began at 19 as a tattoo artist in Las Vegas.

The evidence of his previous art form is all over his arms, chest and neck. Somewhere on his body is "The Andy Griffith Show" character Barney Fife, an octopus and a sacred heart. After tattooing people for about 25 years, he was ready for something else.

"I got tired of it after a while," said McGreens, who displayed his paintings Sunday at this weekend's Estero Fine Art Show. "I would draw and design all these nice things for people and they'd tell me to just tattoo a name or someone's birthday."

McGreens now paints professionally and has a studio in Fort Myers. He dabbles in the surreal, painting cartoonish aliens, bug-eyed animals and dark landscapes. One of his series of paintings features a rabbit and a carrot in a Tom and Jerry-style battle of wits.

"Everyone's always chasing their carrot," McGreens said. "Sometimes you get the best of the carrot, and other times the carrot gets the best of you."

McGreens and more than 100 other artists displayed their work at the 16th biannual art show at the Miromar Design Center. The rain put a damper on the event in the morning and early afternoon, but as the sun came out, hundreds of people poured in.

Artists exhibited their paintings, photographs, sculptures, blown glass, jewelry, hats and clothing. Passers-by could smell the leather before arriving at tents filled with handmade purses, wallets and belts.

Elaine Unzicker's art is somewhere in between fabric and metalwork. She makes dresses, purses, scarves, belts and ties using sheets of chain mail. Unzicker modeled a skirt, fingerless gloves, earrings, a necklace and a scarf all made of the light, armor-like material.

"It has so much life when it's being worn," said Unzicker of Ojai (pronounced OH-hy), California.

The event, organized by Hot Works Fine Art & Craft Shows, brought together artists from all over the United States and a few from outside the country.

This is the first time Canada-born Anna Polistuk, 33, has been to the U.S. Prior to displaying her abstract paintings at the Estero art show, she spent time driving through national and state parks in California, Washington, Arizona and Georgia.

"That's what inspires me," Polistuk said. "Being in nature and in different environments. Moving around is freeing."

She tries to paint her animals, landscapes and human body forms with as much color and as few lines as possible. Polistuk's work won an award of distinction in a juried art contest, which was judged by Steven High, executive director of the Ringling museum in Sarasota.

Patty Narozny, executive director of Hot Works, owns and produces four fine art shows — two in Estero, one in Boca Raton and one in West Bloomfield, Michigan. The travels the nation to recruit artists for her shows, and she's one of the sole organizers.