This portrait was painted by Christiane Belle as part of Charlotte County's Centennial Art Show. 18 x 24 inches. Oil on canvas. The subject is 'Commodore' Caldwell Hart Colt, the son of gun scion Samuel Colt, who followed in his father's footsteps as a gunmaker. In 1879 he designed the Colt double barrel rifle, one of the rarest Colt firearms that was ever made. One night in 1984, the “Oriole," a yacht belonging to Caldwell Colt, was anchored off the Hotel Punta Gorda. Suddenly, party guests cried out, “Man overboard!” Only too late they realized it was the yacht’s owner, face down and dead in the water. Caldwell’s mother commissioned Louis Tiffany to create a stained-glass window as a tribute to her son. Local artists were invited to submit original works of art to Charlotte County's Centennial Art Show. Pieces were based on the book 'Our Fascinating Past: Charlotte Harbor' by Lindsey Williams and U.S. Cleveland. Submissions were accepted in Fall 2020 and were displayed at the Mid-County Regional Library on February 27, 2021.

This painting by Christiane Belle was part of Charlotte County's Centennial Art Show. 16 x 20 inches. Oil on Canvas. This painting illustrates a famous house in Charlotte County history. Formerly known as McAdow Hall, it was built at the turn of the century as the home of Perry W. McAdow. It was to be deeded to the town upon his death, but taxes and struggles for ownership ensued for many years. McAdow contributed to the community by filling in the harbor off Harvey Park and securing franchises to build and operate kerosene street lights in Punta Gorda and the town's first telephone system. The building was converted to a lodge in the 1940s. As a lodge, the space held the largest dining room in Punta Gorda, capable of serving 300 guests. Local artists were invited to submit original works of art to Charlotte County's Centennial Art Show. Pieces were based on the book 'Our Fascinating Past: Charlotte Harbor' by Lindsey Williams and U.S. Cleveland. Submissions were accepted in Fall 2020 and were displayed at the Mid-County Regional Library on February 27, 2021.

This painting by Christiane Belle was part of Charlotte County's Centennial Art Show in 2021. 16 x 20 inches. Oil on canvas. This is an imaginary portrait of Mary Leah Sandlin by Christiane Belle. Mary had a tragic end for a young girl of 14, helping with the ironing on the family porch. In those days some irons were powered by gasoline, which in Mary's case combusted and poured flames over her. Mary caught fire and ran to neighbors to try to put out the flames, but it was too late. Years later, owners of the former Sandlin home heard old timbers creak and moan, steps walking towards Mary’s former bedroom, irons turning off, and other paranormal activity. Mary, the teenage ghost, features on some walking tours of the area. Local artists were invited to submit original works of art to Charlotte County's Centennial Art Show. Pieces were based on the book 'Our Fascinating Past: Charlotte Harbor' by Lindsey Williams and U.S. Cleveland. Submissions were accepted in Fall 2020 and were displayed at the Mid-County Regional Library on February 27, 2021.