Sun City Anthem resident puts Amish scenes on canvas

     For the painter, the canvas is the window to the soul, and Sun City Anthem resident Diane Graebner has made her window a vision of the Amish lifestyle.
      "My paintings are a simple statement because the Amish are a simple people," Graebner said. "I love their lifestyle and dedicated strength of religion."
      Graebner began painting at 11, when she produced her first work, a still-life of a bowl. Today she has 130 paintings for sale, priced from $20 to more than $200, 30 of which have been sold.
      "My favorite painting is `Backfire' which depicts two little boys being scolded by their mother, while two geese pull at the slingshots in their back pockets ready to let them go," she said. "It really hits home because we have two boys in our family."
      Graebner became interested in the Amish culture while living in Lodi, Ohio. Since moving to Southern Nevada, her painting subjects have changed, but she still returns to Ohio to capture the Amish lifestyle on canvas.
      At home, Graebner switches to the western lifestyle at Bonnie Springs.
      "I have learned to appreciate painting the western lifestyle -- such as desert landscapes and the Native American culture," she said. "It is all very beautiful and dramatic."
      Graebner offers some advice for amateur painters.
      "Take art classes from as many instructors as you can so you learn a variety of styles and techniques," she said. "For example, when I am the instructor I teach my students how to see and feel and not how to paint. That is the most important technique to master."
      A 72,000-square-foot recreational facility at the age-restricted community will offer fitness, hobby and craft facilities; as well as room for social activities. The center is slated to open in early 2000.
      The Anthem master-planned community in Henderson will feature city parks, cultural sites, hiking trails and softball fields, as well as three distinct subdivisions. They are: Anthem Country Club, Coventry Homes at Anthem and Sun City Anthem.
      Developed by Del Webb Corp., the community offers views of the Las Vegas Valley. It covers nearly 5,000 acres and will comprise about 12,000 homes at buildout.
      To visit, take Eastern Avenue south, two miles past Lake Mead Drive, to Anthem Parkway and follow the signs.
      Homes range from 1,235 to 3,009 square feet.
      They are priced from the low $140,000s to the low $280,000s.
      Del Webb Corp. is the builder of Sun City developments nationwide, country club communities, and Coventry Homes neighborhoods throughout the Southwest.