October Sun, Daily Painting by Everglade Artist JoAnn Sanborn

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I worked on two small daily paintings yesterday and am not satisfied with either of them well enough to post! Either I'll paint over them completely, or work through and resolve their problems. In any case, let's have a look at October Sun today. It's a painting started some time ago, and every now and then taken off the wall and worked on again. The contrast is stronger this time and I really like the reflections in the water. Perhaps it's finished! If so, I'll bring it to the Marco Center for the Arts Members Art show this Saturday.

The typical Everglades landscape is almost always composed of water, palms, and prairie and clouds. Oh, there are a few variations, some cypress stands and the pond apple swamps, but for the most part close to Marco Island it's water, palms, prairie, and clouds. I use these words to describe my paintings, and paint these subjects over and over. The repetition might bore some artists, but I love the familiarity. Even though the parts have become familiar, each time they reveal themselves in a way that's totally new and exciting to me. Sometimes the prairie is vast and wide. Sometimes the clouds are racing over the landscape. Sometimes a particular palm will demand to have it's portrait painted. Other times the grasses wave and sway demanding attention. Each day it's own joys and challenges.

The weatherman said last night that we've had 18 days without measurable rain. After all that rain this summer, the dry season is creeping up on us. It's a great time to visit the Everglades. There's wildlife in abundance, and the dirt roads are dry enough to traverse easily without the over-road water flows and the mud of the rainy season. The growth is lush and lovely in full fall finery, refreshed by summer rains. Take a drive or a hike, and see what the landscape reveals to you! For more information you can click on any of the Everglades places on the right hand side of this blog.