People's Choice ArtQuest & Hogan House

Sculptor Jack Howard Potter won Marco Island's ArtQuest 2008 People's Choice award over the weekend for his sculpture Sway at a fun party hosted by Orion Bank. Jack has an amazing ability to render the fluid human form in steel. Sway was loved by many and hated by some, but the conversations about her were never dull! Since Jack had to be in SW Florida today, so he'll move her to a gallery in Naples and return his "Warrior to New York. You can see all of the sculptures by clicking here, and clicking on ArtQuest 2008. I've chaired ArtQuest twice now, and love working with both the business community and the sculptors. I'll be sorry to see the sculptures go, but look forward to ARtQuest 2010. Sunday was spent at the Hogan Gallery in Golden Gate, and I'm showing you a photo of Guamo hanging my paintings. The Hogan Home & Gallery are for sale, and realtor Ann Willis brought together some wonderful artists to show off their work and enhance the gallery for an Open House. Ann is a Keller Williams realtor and cam be reached at 239-908-2153 if you're in the market for a unique property! I especially enjoyed meeting artist Merri Roderick, a fabulous sculptor and glass artist. I couldn't find a website to show you her lovely work, but you can take a class from her at the Bonita Art Center. I'll be teaching my workshop "Acrylics and the Florida Landscape next week, so Center for the Arts on Marco Island if you're interested.

You are invited to the ArtQuest 2008 People's Choice Award Cocktail Party this Saturday night from 4:30 to 6:30 at Orion Bank. Bring your friends as the event is open to the public. The People's Choice Award is sponsored by Orion Bank. ArtQuest on Marco Island is presented by the Marco Island Foundation for the Arts in conjunction with our business community and you can see the rest of the ArtQuest sculptures here.

Today's photo is Dancing Terns, by fabulous animal sculptor Fred Caravetta. Dancing Terns is sponsored by the Marco Island Civic Association, and installed at Resident's Beach. When Fred unveiled Terns, he was so delighted with the location that he immediately donated the sculpture to MIFA to be permanently installed at the beach. Thanks, Fred!

The ArtQuest 2008 sculpture exhibition will be ending in April, and the sculptures will be returned to the artist who created them if they are not sold. Come to the party, have a bite to eat and a glass of wine, vote if you haven't, have a great time and win some great prizes and original art at the raffle! Hope to see you there!

This beautiful beach and palm painting is a small one finished last week. I'll be bringing this, and a few paintings both large and small to the Hogan Gallery, 8775 27th Avenue in Golden Gate. I'll hang them tomorrow, and the gallery, which is for sale, will hold an open house on Sunday from 12-5. A number of artists will participate, including Marco's stone sculpture instructor Frank de la Roche, a jewelry artist among the other participants. It should be a interesting afternoon, so come along if you're in the market for a painting or a home with a gallery!

Left Bank Art Show Marco Island

The Left Bank Art Show at the Esplanade, hosted by the Marco Island Foundation for the Arts was a success. Twenty artists laid out their work in a casual and easy way on the Esplanade grounds. It was intended to be along the water, but most of the artists hung near the colonnades for protection from potential rain and occasional sprinkles. Despite the threat of rain, there was a good turnout of patrons from both the island and nearby Naples. We were enchanted by the work of high school sophomore Camille Alwing. Her work was lovey, and she gained much support from the arts community here. Artist Steve Muldoon was there with his wonderful work for the Marco Island Historical Society. The Historical Society, after much fundraising, has just broken ground for a museum on Marco. What a bonus this will be for our community! Steve is selling giclees of the originals he's created for the Museum. Highlight of the day was the five year Birthday Celebration for the Foundation for the Arts with happy birthday sung and a beautiful cake shared with the crowd. Best for me personally was a trade with artist Angelika Kade for one of her beautiful sculptures! Happy Spring!

This small painting is one of four 6"x8" I've been working on for the Left Bank Art Show at the Esplanade this Saturday. It will be framed in a beautiful craftsman style gold frame. There will be about 20 artists, some local and some distant, who will show and sell their work. It's a very casual event with minimum equipment needed, and designed as an opportunity for Marco's fine artists who don't do the show circuit or may not have enough work for a gallery. I wish more of them had taken advantage of this low cost, easy show. It should be a lot of fun if the weather cooperates. Today I'll work on the small paintings, tone an order of large canvases that came in yesterday, enjoy the support and camaraderie of the Artist's Tabletalk Luncheon, where the only subject it art, and deliver some paintings to the Sweet Art Gallery, where I'll be showing again for the month.

Sawgrass & Palms
8" x 6" (20.4cm x 15.3cm)
acrylic on canvas
$225 plus $15 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

The Peace River show was in a great spot by the river, easy set up and take down, although the crowd was a bit lighter than ideal. Saturday the winds were strong and even tried to rival those at Anna Maria last weekend. We are old hands at battling it now and didn't have any damage, but were still glad when Sunday dawned beautifully sunny and with much less wind. Congratulations to new collectors the O'Gormans who purchased Morning Quiet and to the Kitson's for the purchase of "Grove." Since the frame was travel damaged on the O'Gorman's piece, we'll see them later this week to replace it.
For the next couple of days I'll be working on some small canvases, 6x8, for the Left Bank Art Show at the Esplanade on Marco this Saturday, and waiting for a delivery of a large canvas ordered so I can begin Dr. Marciano's new piece.

Beach Walk

Last night the sky was a was a beautiful deep, rich yellow at sunset, fading up through cottony greens and blues higher in the sky, and this morning there were bands of soft pink through the morning blues, becoming salmons and oranges with the rising sun. Don't miss these georgous gifts from nature! Take the time to look up and see what's happening when you go out to get the morning paper or walk the dog, or just take a cup of coffee and enjoy! We spend too much time looking down instead of up. Wish some of our political leaders would do it too--look up to the future instead of down at the past!
Will you be celebrating St. Patrick's Day early this weekend? I love the wearing of the green and dreaming about pots of gold! We'll miss the early weekend parties because we'll be on our way to the Peace River Art Festival in Punta Gorda. It's a well attended festival by the water in a lovely park. Worthy of a day trip, or stop by if you're in that area. I was relieved to learn that the weather forecast is much more promising than the fierce winds and rain of last weekend. We have just a slight chance of a shower. Still, we'll be prepared for anything!
My painting Beach Walk is of the beach at Delnor Wiggins State Park. The painting can be found at my dentist friend Dr. Marciano's in Bonita Springs. He's a wonderful dentist who has a nice fine art collection in his office and is an artist in his dental work as well!

Sold

Here's a reminder that I'll be teaching a four-day workshop on the Florida Landscape in Acrylics at the Marco Island Center for the Arts on Marco Island. Weather permitting, a portion of each day will be spent outside learning from nature. We'll spend a day on the acrylic material, concentrate on composition, color, the parts of the landscape, and putting it all together with your own artistic signature. It's an intensive class, so come prepared to work, but we'll have some fun too. The class will take place from April 7-10, 9:30-4, and you can sign up at the Art League of Marco Island, in person or by calling 239-394-4421. If you haven't used acrylics before it's a good start. They're kind to the environment and to your health. Call or e-mail me if you have any questions about the class. Hope you can join me!

Beach Path

The Anna Maria Island show was one of the toughest outdoor shows we've done in ages. The wind howled. We tied the tent down as best we could and just stayed low. After driving rain on Friday night, the howling wind "blew like stink" all through Saturday. Many exhibitors didn't even bother to set up, but we were surprised at the number of people who came out to view the show in a wind that could rip your clothes off. My scarf tried to strangle me a couple of times! Phew, what wind! Sunday dawned quieter, a lovely, bright cool day that brought out a good sized crowd. While the crowd enjoyed looking and talking art, sales were very slow for the fine art painters. Judging for the show took place on Sunday because it was decided that it really wasn't fair to do it on Saturday with only half the show set up. My blue ribbon and check for First Place 2-D (two dimensional work) were a welcome but a bitter sweet ending as we began to take down! We're happy to be home with a relatively quiet week ahead. I'm due for a day in the Glades, and looking forward to getting one later this week!

The Florida Chapter of the National Association of Women Artists luncheon yesterday was enjoyed by all. The car was full of art talk all the way there and back, and we made good enough time to allow us to stop in Delray Beach to view the current exhibit of the group in the Northern Trust Bank. It was time well spent as we were able to put faces to paintings later. Our favorite was a small drawing by artist Grace Fishenfeld of a old man in a wheel chair reaching down with a saucer, called Saucer of Milk, presumably for an unseen kitty. It was sensitively expressed in charcoal on paper, and the three of us would have given the unrewarded drawing first place!
On to the luncheon at Benvenuto in Boynton Beach, where the salmon was delicious and the speaker, Sarah Gavlak of Gavlak Gallery was both provocative and informative as she spoke and showed slides of the artists she represents, and why. Several member knew me by name, and thanked me for chairing the show held at the Art League of Marco Island last year.
It was a busy day, but by starting before we left and finishing this morning I was able to complete this small painting of sailing boats on a windy day. I had wanted another shore painting for the show this weekend, and am pleased to have finished it in time. Off to Anna Maria Island for the Art League's SpringFest, keeping an eye on the weather, which it sounds like might make for a difficult show!

Tomorrow, member artist Angelika Kade and guest Betty Newman and I will travel to the east coast to attend the National Association of Women Artists' Florida Chapter Annual Luncheon in Boynton Beach, FL. It will be interesting to meet people that I've only spoken with on the telephone, or seen their work in catalogues or shows and the company on the long trip will be fun, too. I applied to enter this group a few years ago and was delighted to be accepted. NAWA has give me the opportunity to show in a number of places that would be difficult for a regional artist. I've won a few prizes and sold a few paintings, too. It's been a good experience, and although you have to pay to ship your paintings, it's worth it to get exposure outside of South Florida. This group juries in new artists once a year in the fall, so follow the link and get more information if you're interested. I'll try to get a post in tomorrow, but we're setting off early to a show in Anna Marie Island, between Sarasota and Tampa. I'll let you know all about it when we get back.

Do these palms look like they might be traveling to you? To me they looked as though they are marching along a sawgrass highway in the warm sunshine. The prevailing easterlies and each tree's need for sunlight will ensure that future generations will move a little to the east. A huricane could send the seed in any direction. Will they move as a group? How far will they move in the next 20 years? 100? Journey was purchased by a couple visiting from the frigid north. They'll enjoy looking at it when they return to snow and cold today!