Art in an hour: Arts Council fund-raiser

Tom Ward and his detailed drawing of a hawk

OK, it wasn't Michelangelo -- but he took four years to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Instead, this was Quick Draw, a fund-raiser for the Racine Arts Council, in which a dozen artists created art on a smaller scale in just one hour. Art which then was auctioned off to contented art lovers who'd spent the evening watching, interacting with the artists and, not incidentally, sampling wines, beers and hors d'oeuvres Saturday night at Uncorkt!

We're hoping to get the results soon, but in the meantime, here's a look at some of the work the talented artists were painting, sewing, drawing and creating.

Postscript: The top three voice auction items came from different media: a drawing by Jerry Belland, shown below; Toby Prioletta's sterling silver swizzle stick/martini pix, shown in progress below; and Amanda Paffrath's blown blown glass -- which was still cooling at her furnace when auctioned off. Auctioneer was Ron Halverson of the Racine Theater Guild, who led spirited bidding. Top auction items sold for between $80 and $100 each -- can you spell b-a-r-g-a-i-n? Attendance was well over 100. The event drew rave reviews, and organizer Denise McKee has already been asked about next year's party...

Toby Prioletta works on a sterling swizzle stick

Robert Andersen fills in some early details on a tree

Ellen Deering sews a flower on a ladies purse

Anthony Weber finishes his creation

Jerry Belland puts finishing touches on his cautionary tale

Jane Cascio works on her painting