Glow, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Glow, 2017Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5: x 7"

Daisy Pot, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Daisy Pot, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn 

Acrylic on Board, 7"x5"

One in the Sun daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

One in the Sun, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn 

Acrylic on board, 5"x7"

Lemonade in the Garden abstract daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Lemonade in the Garden, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn 

Acrylic on board, 7"x5"

My lemon tree in the garden is full of almost-ripe fruit. I'll be making lemonade by next week.  The colors in my garden prompted this little abstract. I hope you enjoy seeing something a little different from me now and then!  

Almost Home, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Almost Home, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn 

Acrylic on board, 5" x7"

The sailboat in the distance in this painting has been to the Bahamas and is now approaching it's home harbor of March Island.  Hope it misses the summer storms and makes it home safely.  

Golden Light daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Golden Light, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on board, 5" x 7"

Palm #3 daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Palm #3, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on cradled board, 4" x 4"

Another palm.  These small paintings are fun to do on cradled board.  It's a multi-layered process, first covering the block with a textured gel, then doing an abstract color layer, then finding the palm in the paint, sometimes completely changing the background, and finally the highlights. 

They can be hung just on a push pin or set on an easel.  You can find a small spot, maybe half hidden, like on the wall under a lampshade.  Every time you turn on the light, you will get the delight of finding a little gem.   

Three in the Sun, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Three in the Sun, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on archival board, 7" x 5"

When the sun comes out in the rainy season, there's high humidity and it's very hot.  Still, sunshine is always welcome.  It makes for Everglades landscapes with strong value definitions in the palms.   

Rain on the Beach, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Rain at the Beach, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on archival board, 5" x 7"

If you're not careful, your walk on the beach could end up a drenching--because in South Florida, when it rains, it pours. Still, the light is fabulous, and everywhere you turn you can see something magical.  Just the place for a landscape painter to be! 

Textured Palm #2, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Textured Palm 2, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on cradled board, 4"x 4"

You may have seen these textured palms if you visited my studio at the Esplanade.  I'm now working at home, and they are still fun to do.  The paintings are done on a 3/4" cradled board and can be hung on push pins. They're just lovely on a small easel, too.  Hang three in a row to add color to a skinny spot in your home.  

I've got a few more and will show them in the next few days, but if you want special colors let me know.  

Textured Palm #1, daily painting by Jo-Ann Sanborn, Everglades artist

Textured Palm #1, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

4x4", acrylic on cradled board

Happy Independence Day!  

You may have seen these textured palms in the studio.  They are on a 3/4" cradled board and can be hung on push pins.  I've got a few more and will show them in the next few days, but if you want special colors let me know.  Have a fabulous holiday.  

Bright Side Daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Bright Side, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on board, 5" x 7"

The Everglades grasses welcome the passing summer storms that soak them to their roots. The bright green of new growth can be seen at the base of each clump and will soon overtake last year's dry remains.

Sunmmer Blues, Edge of a Cloud daily painting by Jo-Ann Sanborn

Edge of a Cloud, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on Board, 7" x 5"

Enjoy the beautiful blues and dramatic clouds of summer. Open your heart to the beauty of this wild land.  It is unique in all the world.    

Five Sisters, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Five Sisters, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on board, 7" x 5"

These five palms look like they've grown up together. Are they really a group of siblings?  

Hurricane plans, and Passing Through, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Passing Through, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on board, 7" x 5"

Today's painting, Passing Through is of a stand of palms during one of our frequent rainy moments.  

Summer rains have come right on time and have already spread heavy rain across our region.  While the wet season brings life-giving water to the parched Everglades, they are less welcomed by humans, since they can bring flooding, violent storms, and hurricanes. If you live in south Florida like I do, it's time to make sure your hurricane plans for 2017 are in place. 

Brett, the first tropical storm of the season was named yesterday. Even though it may be a while before you need a strategy, since the strongest storms come later in the summer, it's best to have your lists made and your plans ready early.  

I've written about hurricane preparedness for artists before.  If you need a refresher, here's a link to a blog post written some years ago.  You can also find official up-to-date information at the FEMA and FL State sites. Both sites are full of information that will help to keep you and your family safe. Meanwhile, the skies and clouds are magnificent!  

Back in the Glades daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Back in the Glades, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on canvas, 5" x7"

I've re-worked the "en plain aire"  tips page,  but have found mosquitoes to be a huge deterrent to painting outside right now.The invasion of the salt marsh variety is the worst I can remember. They are fierce all day, even when there's a breeze!  Apparently, they don't carry Zika! 

Just another Summer Day daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Just another Summer Day, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on board, 5"x7"

The rainy season is underway in south Florida, with rain for at least part of each day.  Still, we have moments of gorgeous sunshine before the clouds come back in.  Just Another Summer Day was done before the clouds closed in again.  

It it was a pleasure to attend the Center for the Arts exhibition Whimsy this week. It's not a large show, so there's plenty of space for each painting to breath, and there was no medium requirement so each artist was free to interpret "whimsy" in their medium of choice.  Congratulations to the prize winners!  Stop in and take a look!

Family Matters, daily painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Family Matters, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 6"x6"

A Few Flowers, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

A Few Flowers, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 7'x5"

Prairie Friends, Daily Painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Prairie Friends, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5"x7"

Fanciful Flowers, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Fanciful Flowers, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 7"x5"

Burrowing Owl, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Daddy!  2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

7"x5"

Marco Island has a bumper crop of burrowing owl pairs this year.  This little guy was sitting on my front porch all alone for a while, then brought his girl friend along to visit.  Now they have a burrow across the street, and only come to visit when the construction trucks get too close.

Most burrows are neater, but this pair is big into decoration!  They've collected a lot of debris to surround and enhance their new home.    Apparently it will attract insects for them to eat.  Babies in the nest just yesterday, but too skittish for a photo yet! 

Blooming, Daily Painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Blooming, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

5"x7"

My mother assigned the small plot of earth between the front and side doors to me at age 6.  I was allowed to pick out a flat or two of small plants at the garden shop and purchase some seeds each year.  She must have helped with the weeding the first few years, and I've had a garden ever since.  

Painting flowers is a nice change from everglades art.  I've never really concentrated on painting flowers, but always have fresh blooms in the house.  Sometimes they're purchased from the grocery, but sometimes I'll pick a little something from the yard. The deep magenta center and the yellow-white edges of this hibiscus are showy enough to stand alone. 

Out in the Glades, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

5"x7"

Busy getting my home studio set up.  What a job trying to fit everything in!  Still, it will be much easier to have everything in one place. 

I was able to donate the rolling walls to the ASCWF's Cooperative Gallery at Coconut Point.  What a pleasure to meet the gallery director who was resourceful in finding both a friend and a truck on short notice.  I'm delighted they'll be put to good use! 

A Little Bloom, Daily Painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

A Little Bloom, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

I've got a number of small vases for single blooms, and while I'm getting organized at home you may see quite a few of these small flower paintings. 

A Little Bloom is a painting of one of the ground orchids I have in my yard.  It's been blooming like crazy and may do it all summer long. 

News! Early Morning Light, an Everglades Painting by Jo-Ann Sanborn

Early Morning Light

11x14, 2017

On May 1, 2017, I closed my studio/gallery at the Esplanade, and am choosing to work out of my home studio for a while.  This will give me more time to paint, more time to visit the Everglades - the source of my inspiration for painting - and more time to do some artistic exploration..

I'll still be self-representing, but am changing my business model.  Blogging will most likely have a place, with the goal of posting a daily painting often.  Sometimes I will have something to say, other times you'll just get a painting.

If you are getting this email, you will be getting a new post with a painting in your mail box more frequently. There will be a link to my website where the painting will be for sale. 

My blog is independent of my once-a-month newsletter, which will still be my main way of communicating with you.  You can reach both the blog and my past newsletters from my website, here. 

There is an unsubscribe notice at the end of both the blog and my newsletter in case you no longer wish to receive mail from me. 

Please forward to anyone you know who might be interested in having a painting in their mailbox.  More to come - later! 
Jo-Ann