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"