Art Talk, Gold Rush Daily painting by Jo-Ann Sanborn

One of the things I really enjoy outside of the studio is Marco Island's Artist Tabletalk luncheon. We're a group of professional artists who meet once a month to talk art. Yes, only art! We try to have only one conversation going at the table at a time. Not easy, but each artist around the table takes a few minutes to tell their news. It could be an award or an honor, experiments with a new media, comments on struggles and joys in the studio or "en plein air." All subjects are shared and discussed in a lively and supportive manner. After that, if nothing is pressing I try to have a topic or question for discussion that connects us to the broader perspectives of the art world. We usually end with "show and tell" or critiques of our work. The two hours pass all too quickly and we ask about health issues and and families as we leave.

This month I proposed that we take on the challenge of blogger Alyson Stanfield's Art Marketing Salon. It's free, and the only obligation is committment. There were eight people at the table and all jumped at the chance. We'll hold our organizational meeting soon and look forward to learning all we can about this important subject.

Today's daily Everglades painting is "Gold Rush" in honor of all the economic woes of the past week. I had no idea that total panic about finances could be achieved so easily! Real? Yes. Scary? Yes. Can I do anything about it? No! Back to studio for comfort? Yes!

Gold Rush
5" x 7"

acrylic on board
$150 with free shipping and handling in the US

Framing and Talking

I mostly sell my paintings framed, so dashed across the Everglades early yesterday morning to pick up an order of frames from my supplier who had received a container the day before. We found upon opening the boxes that the style I needed most came through with an unacceptable quality. I was able to get some of what I needed, dashed back in time for yesterday's Artist's Tabletalk luncheon.
A wonderful group of women artists on Marco Island meets once a month for art talk. We are all serious artists working regularly, and have only one rule for our table--that for those two hours, the subject must be art! If someone digresses we lead them back to art. We struggle to have only one conversation going on at a time, so have a limit of 12 participants and sit at a round or square table. We start by going around the table so that each artist can take a couple of minutes to tell about what they've been working on, reading about, or exhibitions seen in the month since we've met. We're usually so excited about what everyone is doing that this takes most of the time! We all know that we spend so much time in our studios working alone that socializing becomes very important. Meetings like this energize me. I'm so grateful for all my artist friends who take the time to come to the table! I hope they get as much out of it as I do!
Today's painting is a simple one reminiscent of my mad dash across the glades. It's just about a hundred miles across from Naples to Fort Lauderdale and this scene is a common one. Remember, all my prices include a simple gold frame.

Golden Grasses
7" x 5" (17.8cm x 12.7cm)
acrylic on canvas
$150 plus $10 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.