Flirting with a Breeze - March Madness

Flirting with a Breeze, 2013, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 16x20



THE WHITE RABBIT'S VERSES
by: Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

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HEY told me you had been to her,

And mentioned me to him;

She gave me a good character,

But said I could not swim.

 

He sent them word I had not gone.

(We know it to be true.)

If she should push the matter on,

What would become of you?

 

I gave her one, they gave him two,

You gave us three or more;

They all returned from him to you,

Though they were mine before.

 

If I or she should chance to be

Involved in this affair,

He trusts to you to set them free,

Exactly as we were.

 

My notion was that you had been

(Before she had this fit)

An obstacle that came between

Him and ourselves and it.

 

Don't let him know she liked them best,

For this must ever be

A secret, kept from all the rest,

Between yourself and me.

"The White Rabbit's Verses" is reprinted from The Hunting of the Snark and Other Poems and Verses. Lewis Carroll. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1903.

Read more at http://www.poetry-archive.com/c/the_white_rabbits_verses.html#fmS0OI63LbgJ9t8f.99

THE WHITE RABBIT'S VERSES
by: Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

Share12 Tweet0 Share0 Share760

HEY told me you had been to her,

And mentioned me to him;

She gave me a good character,

But said I could not swim.

 

He sent them word I had not gone.

(We know it to be true.)

If she should push the matter on,

What would become of you?

 

I gave her one, they gave him two,

You gave us three or more;

They all returned from him to you,

Though they were mine before.

 

If I or she should chance to be

Involved in this affair,

He trusts to you to set them free,

Exactly as we were.

 

My notion was that you had been

(Before she had this fit)

An obstacle that came between

Him and ourselves and it.

 

Don't let him know she liked them best,

For this must ever be

A secret, kept from all the rest,

Between yourself and me.

"The White Rabbit's Verses" is reprinted from The Hunting of the Snark and Other Poems and Verses. Lewis Carroll. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1903.

Read more at http://www.poetry-archive.com/c/the_white_rabbits_verses.html#fmS0OI63LbgJ9t8f.99

March Madness!

The number of visitors to the island continues to grow, many coming from the frozen northlands for a bit of sunshine and greenery after a brutal winter in much of the country. It's fun to make new friends and hear their stories.Talk on Marco Island is all about being named the number ONE island to visit in the country, so we are gearing up for even more visitors. Talk about March Madness!

AskArt!
Many thanks and much gratitude to Diana Williams, a fine art appraiser who initiated an artist listing for me on AskArt--The Artist's Blue Book , after visiting my studio last month. There are thousands of artists listed, with information about their lives and work, I'm delighted to be one of them. There's a discussion board on this site allowing additional notices of interest and facts about listed artists. You can see my listing here . Buying or selling of paintings can be done in a separate section of the site.

Additional Hours
My studio/gallery is opened on most Tuesdays, thanks to Holly and Cece, who have been a great help. My occasional studio assistant, Nicholas, helps me frame and ship, and also climbs the high ladder to change light bulbs and focus them on the paintings--a never-ending challenge, since I move things around all the time. Their help allows me to focus more on painting, which I'd much rather do. We'll probably keep to this schedule through April.

Upcoming Events
March 20, 4-5:30 pm. Thursday, is another of my Tea with the Artist - We'll celebrate Spring! As before, we will have tea, and some goodies, and yes, PRIZES. Bring a photo of yourself with one of my paintings to be eligible to win!

Visit my website! 

Memory of a Beach Walk, painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Memory of a Beach Walk, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on canvas, 48"x60"

 

Summertime here on the island is a great time to do some larger pieces.  Memory of a Beach walk is one of the largest paintings I've done in a while.  I wanted you to feel as though it was you walking on the beach, and to think of other beach walks that might have meaning for you.

 

Maybe you were with someone you love, now departed.  Perhaps you told your daughter about the birds and the bees.  Perhaps the shells themselves revealed something to you in a special way, as in Anne Linberg's Gift from the Sea.

 

Walking on the beach is good for us.  The sand makes it just a little harder so that we use a little more energy than on the flat, and the sound of the waves sooths us.  Can you feel it?

Hot Stuff, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on archival board, 5"x7"

If you've read my last few posts, you know I've been talking about the Everglades environment and how it works.  I'll continue, but sometimes a break is nice and a visit to the beach is in order.

Marco Island Beach

There are many benfits to a visit to the beach.  Even light waves will send negative oxygen ions into the air around you.

Ahhhhh.  Hope it works for you, too.

Alone on the Beach, daily painting by Evergaldes Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Alone on the Beach, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5"x7"

When you take a moment from your busy day to notice the natural world around us, you may find that you walk away with a deep feeling of contentment.  It’s restorative and restful, and quiets the soul deep inside ourselves and puts us in touch with the world. 

You might find this inner peacefulness creeping up on you when walking alone on the beach, listening to the sound of the waves, or sitting quietly on dock at the edges of day.  It might be found enjoying the frosty beauty of a northern morning or seeing a sunrise or moonrise you almost missed. 

The Everglades landscape provides many such moments, especially in the summer when the drama of the wind and the rain play out their best games with the sun and the clouds. There’s the light on the water, and through the trees, and colors of the edges of the days, too.   

These moments are gifts of nature, not to be missed, ignored, or squandered in small talk.  When they are given to you, make a space in your life to appreciate them.  If you don’t, after a while they won’t come at all. 

Invasives, Art Show, By Boat Daily Painting by Everglades artist JoAnn Sanborn

By boat
7" x 5" (17.8cm x 12.7cm)
acrylic on Panel

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Today's daily painting is taken from boat trips along the shores near Marco Island. I love the graceful look of the Australian pines waving gently in the breeze, but they are an invasive and are enthusiastically removed by the county when there's money and time. You can learn more about Florida invasives at this link here.

We'll be busy today setting up for the Marco Island Center for the Arts Celebrate the Arts. It's a fun weekend, with something for everyone. There'll be a children's tent, an antique cars show, music, and of course, the artists who have been juried in to show their work. It's a lot of fun for everyone. See you there!

Knitting, Cold, and Land's End daily painting by Everglades artist JoAnn Sanborn

Land's End
7" x 5" Sold

Good Morning! I can't decide whether I want the Paypal button or not. It's such an easy way for you to purchase. Guess we'll try it again for a while.

I wanted to paint a nice warm picture that would make you all feel toasty, but the cooler colors prevailed and even my beach walk looks a little chilly. Lands End is typical of the new island areas that are developing off Tigertail Beach north of Sand Dollar Island in the area of the old Coconut Island. If you look out towards the gulf you don't see the tall condos, and it could be a thousand years ago!

When I left for a meeting yesterday morning it was 36 degrees. Today should only be a couple of degrees warmer. Every now and then we get this kind of chilly reminder that although we fit the qualification of tropical, by having a temperature above 64 degrees, our actual designation by location is subtropical.

This cold, however, puts me in mind of knitting, and knitting is all the talk of Twitter today. I used to be an accomplished knitter, and still have a few stashes of colorful and luscious yarns stashed away. But the term yarn bombing was new to me. Here's how it's done.

Artist Demonstration, Beach Light, painting by JoAnn Sanborn

Some of you may recognize this painting from a demonstration I began at the just opened Big Cypress Marketplace on Rt. 41 last Saturday. There are never great expectations for a great painting during a demonstration because the goal is really to show your methods and talk with people rather than to obtain a finished product. People seem delighted to see a painting emerge from the dark background on the canvas. I never finish a painting while demonstrating, since although my initial lay-in is fast, a finished painting needs much more thought and many layers of hard work before completion. So, I was delighted at home when I took a look and saw a "start" that perhaps could be made into a finished painting.



I"m enjoying exploring groups of palms on Marco Island beach. Most of the palms near the beach are accompanied by tall condo buildings, but it's easy to ignore them, look between them, and focus on the groups of palms and the beach light. If I'm lucky and the palms and the light cooperate, this exploration has the potential to develop into a series.

Political Artists, Night Mist, Everglades Painting by JoAnn Sanborn

Did you watch the Presidential debates last night? This election is the first one in years in which the candidates are trying to draw clear differences on their positions. They're evoking such strong reactions from voters on both sides. Friends who love to debate are drawing battle lines. Some are careful to skirt any discussion of political issues at any gathering. The retoric means little to those who have had years of unfulfilled campaign promises. Yet our country is suffering, and we want to elect the canidate who will be a leader we can follow back to greatness. Now the economic crisis is adding to our worries.

As an artist, have you participated in an election event? According to an article in Common Dreamer, political artists are awakening in great numbers. The American Institute of Grahic Design asked artists to create non-partisian posters urging people to vote received over 200 entries. There's even a Virtual Gallery of Political Art.

I haven't jumped yet, and time in running out. In the meantime, I'm really enjoying our season, humidity, and the great way the Florida landscape looks this time of year. Did you notice the wonderful night mist two nights ago?

Night Mist
24" x 20"

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Tulips

We lose friends this time of year. They"ll be back, but people we become very close to in the fall cast us aside and go back "North" for the summer. North can be anywhere north of the Florida line, but if you're from New England, it means anything above the Mason-Dixon line. Some go because they can't stand the hot, humid summer weather, some dread the potential hurricane drill, and some go to reconnect with family and friends in a place that will always be "home." Those of us left here will enjoy less traffic and the less frantic pace of social life.

One couple, good friends and lovers of my art, left this morning and took with them a painting for their new condo in Maine and a painting of tulips for a loved daughter-in-law. I did two of the tulip paintings, quite different. They picked one, and there's one left for you!

Tulips
7" x 5"

Ship & Shore

Many well-known artists have spent time painting my homwtown, Gloucester, MA. For years the changing light and the working harbor have drawn artists from all over the country. Artists such as Winslow Homer and Emile Gruppe's paintings have helped to make images of Gloucester very recognizable. While I rarely paint anything other than my dear Everglades, each year I paint at least one painting of the Gloucester area after my visit there. This one was prompted by a walk on Gloucester's beautiful Good Harbor beach. One day the water was warm enough for a dip, and the very next day froze our feet, but always the sounds of the waves can sooth the soul.

Ship & Shore
14" x 11" (35.6cm x 28.0cm)
acrylic on canvas
$300 plus $25 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Beach Walk

Last night the sky was a was a beautiful deep, rich yellow at sunset, fading up through cottony greens and blues higher in the sky, and this morning there were bands of soft pink through the morning blues, becoming salmons and oranges with the rising sun. Don't miss these georgous gifts from nature! Take the time to look up and see what's happening when you go out to get the morning paper or walk the dog, or just take a cup of coffee and enjoy! We spend too much time looking down instead of up. Wish some of our political leaders would do it too--look up to the future instead of down at the past!
Will you be celebrating St. Patrick's Day early this weekend? I love the wearing of the green and dreaming about pots of gold! We'll miss the early weekend parties because we'll be on our way to the Peace River Art Festival in Punta Gorda. It's a well attended festival by the water in a lovely park. Worthy of a day trip, or stop by if you're in that area. I was relieved to learn that the weather forecast is much more promising than the fierce winds and rain of last weekend. We have just a slight chance of a shower. Still, we'll be prepared for anything!
My painting Beach Walk is of the beach at Delnor Wiggins State Park. The painting can be found at my dentist friend Dr. Marciano's in Bonita Springs. He's a wonderful dentist who has a nice fine art collection in his office and is an artist in his dental work as well!

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Beach Day

This great little beach is perfect to swim and shell. Between a sandbar and the beach we've seen manatee and dolphin, and small baitfish are plentiful. Our grandchildren love to play that they've been left on a deserted island and must fend for themselves and find coconuts to eat. Next time maybe I'll put them in the painting!

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