Sold - Seeking Shade by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Seeking Shade, 2010, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on Canvas, 30"x30"

Seeking Shade, dear to my heart, sold last week. While it is always hard to let a painting go, I'm glad that Shade will be cherished by collectors who have now acquired several of my paintings.  I hope it will bring them joy. 

I've been painting this particular tree island for so long that it's population has expanded.  The small palm on the left wasn't there when I began painting the Everglades in 1994.  Child of the others?

In some ways, painting is like bringing up children.  We put in heart and soul.  Through education, training, and endless personal efforts I attempt to shape them in the way I want them to go.  

Like my children, my paintings strive to go boldly into the future, while being bound by the weight of the past.  Sometimes I force my will on them and they submit.  Other times I leave them to find their own way, and they soar. 

Both types of paintings can be delightful, but the ones that soar are a little closer to my heart. 

How to Make a Comment on a Blog, and Autumn Grasses, by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Autumn Grasses, 2011 © Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on Canvas, 18"x24"

With autumn now past and the dry season upon us, the grasses in the Everglades won't be as green again until middle of the wet season.  They'll be turning gold and grey, and often beautiful purples as they dry out from lack of rain. 

I've been posting this blog since 2007, and have met some wonderful artists and others online who have enriched my life.  Sometimes a bond is formed through comments.  Comments are also a great way to hear from friends, and from others interested in the same subjects. 

People have told me that they have tried to comment on my blog but are unable to do so.  Sometimes I get comments by email but not on the blog, so I'm going to give you a beginner's guide to commenting in the hopes of getting a few more comments! 

There are several types of blogs, like Blogger (mine) and Wordpress.  The process is just a little different on each but once you have done one. you should be able to do others.  Mine's on Blogger, so I'll tell you how, here:

1.  Find the place to make a comment 

Find the Comment Section at the bottom of the each post.  On mine, it's in the white box at the end of the written part of the blog, but before "older posts"

LinkWithin

Posted byJo-Ann Sanbornat6:00 AM       0 comments

If you don't see what I'm talking about, you may be one of a group who's been reading my blog for a very long time, and I send it to you by email. You will have to click on the link to the online blog at the bottom of the post to get to the blog and then follow below.

FYI, some bloggers will put the comments at the top of the post, so if you are looking to comment on another blog, check above the post.

2.  Make a comment

Click on comments.  A box will appear and you type in your comment. 

Check your spelling since it's embarrassing to get it wrong.  I giggled all day when someone called Stapleton Kearns "Stale" instead of Stape!

3.  Choose your identity

Below the comment box is a place for you to choose an identity.  You must do this for your comment to be valid.  You choose ONE way by clicking the circle in front of it. 

If you have a Google account you can use that.  You may have to have to sign out before it will allow you to sign blogs, but lately this seems to be fixed.

If you have a .url you'd like to refer people back to, use your name and your url.  That way someone interested in your comment might also check out your website. 

You may not have either, and want to remain anonymous.  Click that, and you can still sign your comment if you want.  You will also have to supply an email to ensure you are a real person, not a spam gathering machine.  If you are uncomfortable about this, most email providers will let you have multiple identities.  You can make up a new identity email to use just for this purpose, but you must put in a valid email or your comment won't register.

4.  Verify you are a person

Once your comment is made and you are identified, a verification box will come up.  You must get all the letters and numbers right, and in the right case, for the verification to be complete.
 

5.  Be Patient

Your comment will appear once I have approved it.  I had a bevy of spam comments a few years ago, and check to make sure they are real comments before posting them. It's usually only a few hours.
 

Your comments are welcome and enjoyed by anyone who reads a blog.  It's your chance to participate in an online conversation.  And if it still doesn't work, thanks for trying and don't worry.  I love getting your emails, too. 

Are you shy?  Clicking on "Like" or 1+ is a quiet way to participate!  

Twelve Palm Trees

Twelve Palm Trees

by the Artist Colony at the Esplanade

The Artist Colony at the Esplanade is just about to start the third year in our present location.  We're very grateful that in this dismal economy we have such terrific space to work in.  We've been a bright spot for Marco Island, drawing people from afar to visit our studios and see what's new. 

Today's painting is a first!  Its a collaborative painting, done in part by each of the artists.  Artist and photographer Lee Horton, conceived the idea.  He asked each of the artist in the Colony to paint a three-inch interpretation of a palm tree. He then assembled the paintings into a shadowbox and took the above photo.   

They are fabulous!  Lee took the finished mini-paintings and framed them all in a shadowbox to create this beautiful and collectible artwork. Can you guess which artist painted which piece?  Visit our website to give you a clue!  (Hint, mine is at top right)

The painting is on display at Rightside Studio.  If you like it, you can take a chance to win it in a drawing later.  I've already bought my ticket! 

Summer Symphony painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Summer Sumphony, Jo-Ann Sanborn, 2011

acrylic on canvas, 60"x48"

Why are the Everglades the subject of so many of my paintings, and why are they also important to you?  Natural areas provide for recreation and wildlife observation as well as protect the vital ecosystems of our planet

The Everglades fuel our economy with commercial and recreational fishing and tourism.  The slow-moving river of grass filters our water, providing fresh water to the region.  Fish breed and shelter in the mangrove fringes along the coast.  Migratory birds rest and nest on the sandy beach of Marco Island, and use the mangrove fringes to shelter from storms and for feeding grounds.  A rich mix of plant and animal communities thrive in the estuaries.

With continued development pressure on our landscape the need to preserve, protect, and set aside natural areas also grows.  It is my hope that when you love one of my paintings, you'll also begin to find a new appreciation for the threatened landscape I portray. 

Off the Beaten Path painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Off the Beaten Path, Jo-Ann Sanborn, 2011

acrylic on canvas, 16"x20"

It's always delightful to see our landscape anew through the eyes of our visitors.  Most are enchanted by our sunny skies and closeness to nature.  A group of bottle nose Dolphins with perfect timing visited our canal and put on a terrific feeding show just as my sister stepped out to the dock.  One with a large fish in it's mouth surfaced only feet away.  Time was short, but we visited Otter Mound and saw the gopher tortoises  and those cute little peanut shaped burrowing owls, two rare species that populate our sandy soil.  

We spent an afternoon walking (can't really call it a hike) in the Everglades, this time the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge.  Very close to Marco, the new Marsh Trail which I've written about before, makes a wonderful short trip.  A woodpecker greeted us from a tree along the trail.  A great blue heron flew right above our heads with a whoosh of wings, and we saw a great white heron with a nest nearly hidden among the verdant grasses.  

Installed binoculars on the viewing platform allowed us to watch the many and varied wading birds catching fish as if we were right there with them. 
Because we've had recent rains, the water level is still pretty high.  A small alligator basked on the edge of a fish-filled pool, and another rose and fell almost effortlessly in a deeper pool.  Small colorful butterflies accompanied us in the warm sunshine.  An osprey flew above a small pond rich with fish and swooped down to carry one off to the nest. 

The woodpecker cause great discussion later in the evening as some of our party insisted it was a Hairy Woodpecker and some the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker.  The birds are quite similar in size and coloration, and since both could be in South Florida at this time, and no one had a decent photo of the bird, no amount of research proved definative and the issue remain unsolved. 

Taking a break from painting for a couple of days now and then is restorative.  Deep breaths and delight in our natural environment are good for the soul.  I recommend getting out there soon. I'll have some new brochures in the studio if you need a map! 

No Man's Land, painting by Everglades artist JoAnn Sanborn

No man's Land, Jo-Ann Sanborn 2010
acrylic on canvas, 20x24

Few people were found living in the Everglades region prior to the turn of the last century. The interior was simply too wet to live comfortably, and those who did set their homes on higher ground near the coastal ridges.

The people who did live here put out a cry for help after devastating hurricanes in the late 1920's and 1940's. They petitioned to control the flood waters that continually threatened the area, and Congress complied. It seemed the right thing to do at the time, but the results have been devastating for the Everglades ecosystem, and now efforts are underway to restore the ancient water flows.

Scores of stakeholders, led by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Southwest Florida Management Agency have developed the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan neither of which have an easy link to the plan or their part in it.

The plan is huge, and of such significance that we all ought to be aware of it. How the water is handled will affect our water and our economy. There are so many parts and so many stakeholders each with their own take that it's not easy to follow. Still, occasionally you might see a request for public comment. When you do, please speak up for the land!

Just say No, Family Outing by Everglades artist JoAnn Sanborn

Family Outing, JoAnn Sanborn, 2010
acrylic on canvas, 8"x10"

Today's painting, Family Outing, makes me think of how little we know about family of those other than humans. Are these trees related, with the small one the result of cross-pollination between the other two. Will they know if someone came along and killed one of the three?

There's talk of a new highway interchange deep in some of our valuable open space. The reason is that people need it for fire and hurricane protection, and yet many of the people in that area choose it for it's quiet and isolation.

Is this interchange really necessary to protect the lives of the people who live in this area? How many have died here? What are the alternatives? What is the cost to the very environment that sustains us?

Collier County has more preserved land than most Florida counties. However, the population of Collier County in 2007 was almost 320,000, a number that had grown 26% in the previous 10 years. Almost 275,000 live here year round, putting tremendous pressure on the delicate environment and our natural resources. But our environment creates jobs and provides income for many Floridians.

As the head of the food chain, shouldn't we be taking a step back? Think about sharing rather than hogging? Taking care of the very plants and animals that make it possible for us to live here?

Please, just say NO to this new interchange. It's in the wrong place.

Acrytlic paint potential, painting by Everglades artist JoAnn Sanborn

Today's painting is one that was started some time ago. Working a painting surface over and over can deepen and enrich the painting, and this painting has had multiple layers applied. I brought it out again yesterday to discuss in my acrylic class.

It was the last class in a series of four, and the subject was using acrylics in a variety of ways. We talked about how it's a magical medium and how few artists use acrylic paint to it's fullest potential.

The above canvas is one of four I brought to class to illustrate a variety of techniques. The canvas had been covered with a layer of thick gel medium, applied with a palette knife and allowed to dry before beginning the painting. The uneven surface added texture and interest as the paint was applied. Some iridescent paint has been worked into the surface, so it's got a nice glow, and the negative spaces hhave been painted again and again in a variety of colors.

It's fun to try something new, and to learn new techniques. Each of my students was able to find a way to glaze, texturize, get a glow or manipulate the paint in a way that was new to them. They probably won't use the techniques all the time, but have gained some new understanding of the range of opportunities with acrylic paint. Thanks, Class. It was fun!

At My Side painting by Everglades Artist JoAnn Sanborn

At My Side

42x60

AT MY SIDE is a painting of two palm trees side by side at the water’s edge. The taller of the two is a little older, and seems to be sheltering the other with its fronds. Both are solid, well defined, and healthy. They have grown on land that rises a little above the rest of the sawgrass prairie, hat supports them and allows them to flourish.

There’s variety in the grasses at the water’s edge in both color and size, and the passages unifies the painting as the eye moves across. The opening onto the prairie allows the eye to move into the painting onto the water-rich prairie, into the future, into the unknown. The way in is smooth rather than rocky and the ancient limestone below is solid. This, along with a light breeze gives movement and life to the landscape.

The sky is dark, but morning clouds are beginning to brighten the day. They have variety in size and color as well, but not enough movement to disrupt the serenity of the morning. The scene is quiet and peaceful, rich with the promise of a new day.

Marco Island NewComers, Galleries, Cloud Dance Everglades Painting by Jo-Ann Sanborn

Cloud Dance

acrylic on canvas, 20x24

I have to admit that today's Everglades painting is not a daily painting. As you may have noticed a few larger paintings have snuck in among the dailies recently. Oops!

New, larger work was already underway for an August exhibition at the Blue Mangrove gallery here on Marco Island when a call came in from the NPR Gallery in New Port Richie. They had an artist back out of an upcoming Florida exhibition, saw my work on the Internet, and asked if I'd fill in. No missed opportunity regrets for me! I quickly counted what was on hand, and said yes. I'll be delivering ten paintings to them August 3!

The Everglades painting above was started as a demonstration at the Newcomers Club luncheon. I worked from a photo to do a basic block-out, but had no idea where the final painting would go. This one seemed to want to paint itself, and so I was just along for the ride.

It will be available at the Blue Mangrove Gallery exhibition next month. Stop in for a visit!

Marco Island Newcomers, Talking about Art

Good Morning. I've had the great honor recently of being asked, twice, to talk about my art. Speaking in public about my art causes me great anxiety, but I've learned that as much as I want my art to speak for itself, it's probably better to help it along with a few words, so I graciously accept such kind invitations.

I filled the car with paintings, materials, cards, brochures and coupons and took us out for lunch. The Newcomers are a lively group, meeting and greeting with great enthusiasm, with obvious delight in being together. I was a member years ago and had "spun off" since you can only be a member for a limited time.

After I spoke about the growing art scene on Marco Island, and my muse, the Everglades, I began a painting. My canvas is always toned with a warm dark, and I build and shape form with an additive-subtractive enthusiasm almost like a sculptor in my search for the shapes and their interaction on the canvas. This has been my method from my introduction to acrylic, almost 40 years now.

In a public demonstration of only about 1/2 hour, I can only get down the most basic block-in, but people seems to enjoy seeing the painting begin to emerge from the canvas. I'm sorry that I didn't take a photo of the first stage of this painting at the Marco Island Newcomers Club on Wednesday, but stage two is above, and stage three, below.

It's starting to get some definition of form, some light, and a color strategy is evolving. All of these will be further developed in a push-pull method as the painting evolves.

Here's the final on the painting that started as a demonstration at the Marco Island Yacht Club's Ladies Luncheon. You can see it's first hour here. Thanks to both groups for having me as a guest!

Spam, Phyllis, and All of a Kind daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Today's daily Everglades painting, All if a Kind shows palms against a prairie background with sun in a hazy sky. Sometimes the palms stand out strongly against the background and other times blend in so it's hard to differentiate what's palm and what's brush!

Everyone these days is concerned about too much email spam. I've changed to sending out my email news in a way that gives you, the viewer, total control over whether or not you'd like to receive it. Although I'm still learning, my Constant Contact email seems to offer me lots of options for offering you a quality newsletter, and is easy for you to accept or refuse. I would prefer to have everyone who receives it look forward to it each month.

The newsletter itself is still in the formative stages. There will always be a section that allows you to learn more about our fragile Everglades landscape. It's a fascinating place, and different from any other place on the earth.

The Collector Corner is new, and there I hope to give you information about collecting original art. If you already own one of my paintings, you are a Sanborn collector, an original art collector, and one of a group of very special people.

Feel free to comment on what you liked and read, or what you skipped and didn't interest you. The newsletter will evolve as we both participate! If you didn't get the newsletter and would like to, you can sign up here.

By the way, if you're thinking of using Constant Contact for your email list, let me know and we can both get a bonus discount! I did this with artist Betty Newman--thanks, Betty!

We enjoyed the opening of local artist Phyllis Pransky's artwork at the Marco Island Center for the Arts last night. Phyllis arrived on Marco just about the same time as I did, and we've been sharing a love of island and art every since. Phyllis is the driving force behind the successful Marco Outdoor Artists. Her work is colorful, lively, and done with a passion for the light. There was a nice turnout for this time of year, and it was great to meet and greet other artists and island residents.

Shells, Marco Beach, student blog

Shells, shells, and more shells! Head down, bent posture on the beach is a clear sign that someone is harvesting the treasures of the sea. There's a beautiful selection of shells common and occasionally rare to be found on the beautiful white sand of the Marco Island beach. Our beach rivals Sanibel for the best shelling on the Southwest Florida coast.

A dear niece will be married this month here on Marco Island. She's taken shells as her theme and I'm helping with the wedding favors. She'll fill beautiful bottles with a little sand and some shells, and I'm making little folded cards to be tied to the top. So, a little out of my element, I'm drawing, hand painting, (watercolor!) and assembling the cards. I'm pleased with the results, and will show you the finished product next week! Today I'll be working on table cards to match.

We attended the Marco Island Center for the Arts "The Green Period" opening yesterday, It's a beautiful show with so many styles that there's sure to be something to appeal to everyone. We were told that the juror took the name of the show very seriously and eliminated those who didn't conform. The top prize was won by a man that I didn't know, but the next five prizes went to some fabulous artists, four of whom I"m proud to call friend. Congratulations, Ladies!

If you've been a student of mine in the past and didn't receive an invitation to the student blog Painting Marco, please let me know and I'll add you. I'm missing many of your emails. It will be closed to everyone but Sanborn students, and will be a forum for showing and discussing your lastest work, and a way to keep in touch. Check it out and respond to the invitation to be an author! Yes, there will be a little bit of a learning curve, but you can do it!

Smell of Spring, Daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Gardenia
7" x 5" (17.8cm x 12.7cm)
acrylic on Panel
$150 with FREE shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Spring is in the air on Marco Island as the scented flowers begin to bloom. The gardenia bush by my front door sends out a cloud of fragrance to be enjoyed by anyone coming up the walkway. It's very prolific, and I've place the blooms in small vases around the house as well. There's a wonderfully scented Confederate Jasmine over the garage door that's heavenly, too.

There's something romantic and timeless about the beautiful scent of the gardenia. Catching a whiff of the fragrance in the air when you least expect it is a special treat. I'll put a couple in the guest room for my daughter and her husband to enjoy on their visit here this week.


My first garden was given to me when I was six, a small plot between the walkway and the door. My mother said it was my garden, to do as a wanted, as long as I kept it up. Every year we would go to the nursery and pick out a few containers of starter plants. I learned a lot about both gardening and life as some tiny little stalks developed far beyond my expectations while others with much promise were a sorry disappointment.

Since that time I've always had a garden, but have to admit that since coming to Marco Island 16 years ago I was more attracted to the huge, large, bold green forms of dramatic foliage than the flowers themselves. I'd buy an orchid now and then but once the bloom was over the snails would eat the leaves into a pathetic eyelet and I'd loose interest.

Now, between the availability of beautiful, native plants at the Farmer's Market and the encouragement of my enthusiastic and knowledgeable gardening friend, I'm renewing my interest in both gardening and painting plants. The orchid plant on my kitchen counter has a slightly spicy scent and is one of my recent purchases. Will it live on? I'm excited to see where this will go!

Oh, and see my new post on color here.

Going my Way? Daily Everglades Painting by JoAnn Sanborn

The morning skies here on Marco Island and over the Everglades can be so beautiful. The light comes up slowly and the colors changes are so subtle that you have to look carefully to see them. Sometimes there are little puffs of clouds taking on the colors of blue, grey, and sometimes pink in a golden sky. Sometimes layers of yellow, pink, green and blue change places slowly as the sun rises. Sometimes, there's a thin layer of bright light right on the horizon, and the rest of the sky filled with dark clouds. But you can be sure that every single morning is unique and different.

JM Turner, a British painter who's rich, voluminous skies have inspired generations of landscape artists is someone that every painter of light wants to emulate. Haldane Macfall, an art critic, wrote of him in 1920 as..."All that is vital in modern art was born out of the revelation of Turner". If you're not familiar with his work take a look and learn more about him. Then sit outside early some morning and watch the morning show in the sky.

Today's painting just wouldn't photograph quite right. My simple camera has trouble discerning between the thin, glaze layers of colors and blurs them rather than defines them!

Going My Way
7" x 5"

Sold

Everglades Fall, Building Clouds Daily Florida Everglades Painting by JoAnn Sanborn

The Florida Everglades are lush and green this fall, wet, and with all kinds of living things filling every space. Insects are plentiful. Fish, frogs, turtles and alligators inhabit the waters. Mink and raccoon hunt and thrive on the edges of the canals and streams. Owl, shore and wading birds and meadow birds all find food plentiful. Birds of prey, osprey, hawks, and eagles soar above prairies and shoreline. Thick, lush sawgrass waves in the afternoon breeze, meadow flowers thrive and at the fringe the mangroves spring growth has turned rich green.

The Everglades is truly a magical place, remote, wild, and only in the last decade really habitable. Plant and animal life are only beginning to recover from the assaults of the last decade when the great swamp was almost drained and the bird population was reduced to almost nothing due to the feather fashion of ladies hats. As a regional landscape artist who has taken the Everglades as my subject, I urge you to take a few moments to learn more about this area by clicking on the links on the blog. Maybe you'd even want to get involved in helping to save the Everglades for future generations!

Yesterday was the first meeting of the Wet Paint committee of Leadership Marco sponsored by Marco Island Chamber of Commerce. Wet Paint Live 2009 will be held on Thursday, January 29th. Plans are underway for another great event! I'll have more on this later, but in the meantime save the date.

Building Clouds
7" x 5"

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

Lone Palm Daily Painting by JoAnn Sanborn

While it's great to live by water, every now and then nature give you a little surprise, as yesterday when I looked out to see a higher than normal tide coming right over our dock! No storm surge had been forcast for our area and we're quite far south in Florida, but this little surprise must have been a nudge from the shoulder of Hurricane Gustov as he passed by on his way to ravage New Orleans.

I had Clyde Butcher's Muck About in mind as I painted this lone palm and watched the water rise. The Butcher property is pretty far inland, but do you think that the people taking the walk on Sunday got into water a little higher than expected?

Lone Palm
8" x 10"
acrylic on canvas
$225 with free shipping and handling in the US

Wetlands

In the Everglades this time of year water is everywhere and we saw a lot of water during yesterday's visit. This is just as it should be, because summer is the time that this vital watershed recharges itself and sends a flow of fresh water into the Southwest Florida estuaries. Differences in elevation measured only in inches mean this water will eventually find it's way into our coastal estuaries, flushing the fish nurseries so important to our food chain. Every afternoon the thunderheads will build and the flow of fresh water generated and slowly moves to the sea. Water will be abundant until the thunderstorms gradually decrease mid-fall, and dry season begins.

Today's painting is an often visited small wetland area. Sometimes the water seems to be barely moving, but this time of year there's a rush to seek lower ground. It's at it's peaceful best at the edges of day, in the early morning or at sunset.

See you tomorrow at the Artist Appreciation Series at Orion Bank on Marco Island at six!

Wetlands
10" x 8" (25.4cm x 20.4cm)
acrylic on canvas
$275 plus $25 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Winter Sunlight Painting by Jo-Ann Sanborn

I've just finished this Everglades painting, done from a photo taken when Rachael Kennedy and I were out in the glades last month. The day was overcast and threatening rain, but every now and then rays of sunshine would break through the clouds and shine down on the landscape. The light was mostly flat, uninspiring and hard to work with when you're painting outdoors looking for answers, but wonderfully transformed in the studio where you have time to internalize it all and aim for the right response. The warm colors are almost glowing and the reflections are nice. I'm going to have to work on my photo taking skills, though, since this one is better in person than I can get on camera!

Winter Sunlight 24x30 $900

Evening Sky Painting by JoAnn Sanborn

Evening Sky was featured in an article in "N" magazine a while ago, and then was on display in an exhibition of local art at the new hospital just a few miles away. It's back in the studio now. I love the enlongated pines--a nice change from palms!