Congratulations to Manchester Court resident Eric Oliner for being recognized as our January Volunteer of the Month!
Eric has been a leader of our weekly Figure Drawing Group at Blakely Hall for years, taking it on by himself this past year. Starting in February, he’s helping to launch another weekly drawing group focused on portrait drawing. He goes the extra mile by organizing occasional lunches for the drawing group as well, fostering further connections. We appreciate all he brings to the community through his dedication to these groups!
Eric had the following to say about his time volunteering and living in Issaquah Highlands:
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During the late 2000s, Ann and I were living in an apartment in downtown Seattle while I managed the development of the Swedish Issaquah Medical Center. We were smitten by the beauty and vitality of the Issaquah Highlands during that time, so we decided to purchase a small lot and we built our forever home here in 2013. We are lucky to have some of our children living nearby, so we enjoy spending time with them and our six grandsons.
While my undergraduate degree was in Fine Art, my career led me in other directions. I returned to drawing after my retirement, initially at Art East, whose demise I was sad to see. After reconnecting with some fellow artists post-pandemic, we found a very welcoming home at Blakely Hall, where we meet every Monday morning to draw live models. I’ve been inspired by the immense talent of those artists, with whom we developed a kind of small community that gets together to share our work, artistic ideas and life stories.
Volunteering to manage those drawing sessions has felt like something of a privilege to me. I would encourage others to consider how much they might gain by volunteering in whatever way that makes them happy.
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Did you know we have THREE drawing groups that meet weekly or monthly at Blakely Hall? Figure Drawing Group meets every Monday from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Go Figure! Drawing Group gathers on the second Sunday of each month from 7-10 p.m. Join each of these three-hour sessions to practice sketching a professional model in a series of poses. New in February, Portrait Drawing Group will meet every Friday from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Join fellow art enthusiasts for portrait drawing from a live clothed model! (Each of these classes charges $15 to pay the model.)
Are you inspired to get involved in the Issaquah Highlands community?
Opportunities are available!
Click here to discover all the different ways you can get involved in our Issaquah Highlands community, including opportunities to join boards and committees, as well as urgent needs at local nonprofits.
Questions? Contact Lindsey Pinkston, Highlands Council Executive Director.
