Happy Birthday, Clyde!

Beach Dreams, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on archival board, 7"x5"

Happy Birthday, Clyde!

Clyde Butcher turns 70 this weekend. Clyde is well known for his gorgeous large format black and white photos of the Everglade.  You can see him work his magic here. 

My husband, photographer and sculptor, took a class with Clyde when he first began teaching.  Before I met Clyde, he juried two paintings of mine into a show of Everglades art at the Von Liebig Art Center.  He didn't know much about art, he told me when we met at the reception, but "I know what I liked and that's what I picked."  He was just being modest, but that's the kind of guy he is.

A birthday gift was in order.  Clyde and his wife Nikki have been very good to the arts community in Southwest Florida.  But what Clyde is really about is a deep and abiding concern for the very real threats to the Everglades environment. He works hard for this cause and has become a much respected voice for the Glades.

Every Labor Day, the Butchers open their gallery and property to the public, to help introduce people to the wonderful Everglades environment.  A walk around his beautiful property refreshes the soul, and you can go into the swamp with a ranger if you haven't done it.

It's not too late to stop by the Big Cypress Gallery and wish Clyde a Happy Birthday, and to "Muck About" a bit, too.