Summer Lilies, Daily painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Summer Lilies, 2018, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on board, 5"x7"

There are almost always fresh flowers in my home. Most are just the grocery store variety, but they bring fresh color and life to my table.  Sometimes I just can't resist giving them a longer life through paint.  It makes a nice change from the Everglades.  Hope you enjoy this small bouquet done with the leftovers on my palette.  

Don't forget if you'd like to join me in some Grand Everglades Adventures, you can do so here.  

Grand Everglades Adventure #4 Video and Reflections, a daily painting

Reflections, 2018, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5" x 7"

When looking at reflections, if the subject is dark, the reflection is lighter, and if the subject is light, the reflection is darker.  But every now and then nature surprises us and there won't be much difference.  Sometimes you see amazing and unexpected light effects. That's why its important for a landscape painter to get out and see for yourself.

Follow along on my Grand Everglades Adventures thru video!  Grand Everglades Adventure #4 is a visit to Briggs Nature Center, an off-site boardwalk of the Conservancy of SW Florida..  If you want more information about the boardwalk and what you might see, click here. 

If you missed one of our Grand Adventures, the click on the links below.

Grand Everglades Adventure #3 - Process 

Grand Everglades Adventure #2 - Marsh Trail

Grand Everglades Adventure Invitation

Grand Everglades Adventure - Process, and Daily Painting, Sunset Drama

Sunset Drama, 2018, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5"x 7"

Happy Spring and Happy Easter!

The soft yellow-greens of this time of year and the abundance of flowers ready to bloom are so appealing. It's the end of our dry season, and unfortunately this fire season this year is a difficult one. The fires haven't threaten Marco Island, but the smoke is prevalent and wide swatches along US 41 show the effects of the burns. I hope that the animals are finding ways to safety.

I've seen more deer than usual, perhaps because they've been disturbed. Soon the regrowth will sustain them again. The rains of summer will be most welcome.

If you're coming along on my Grand Everglades Adventure, the videos are below. Please share with anyone who may be interested!  You can get them directly by inserting your email in the box above right.  

Grand Everglades Adventure #3 - Process, Briggs

Grand Everglades Adventure #2 - Marsh Trail

Grand Everglades Adventure - Invitation to come along

Everglades Grand Adventure and a daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Neighbors, 2018, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5" x 7"

Today we visit the Marsh Trail.  I was delighted to paint with internationally recognized artist Mark Mehaffey, but I didn't get a photo of us, or even him! Hope I'll have another chance as he was a delightful plein aire companion.    

Your next Everglades Grand Adventure video is right here!   You'll be able to see the finished painting at an Exhibition at the Historical Museum in Marco of next year.  If you missed the first video in this series, you can see it here.

I used a cad red tone as the foundation for today's daily painting.  It's available on my website, here.  

Quiet Dawn daily painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Quiet Dawn, 2015, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5" x 7"

From a Boat, daily painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

From a Boat, 2015, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5" x 7"

There's nothing nicer than getting out on the water.  A boat trip has been a treat ever since I was a small child.  On Marco Island in the summer you have to plan around the almost constant threat of s thunderstorm.  Now we're  coming into the time of year when you can be almost sure of having a day trip without threat of rain.  

There are many small deserted islands.  Some of them are made up entirely of mangroves, not easy to get out and explore, Once, Florida was ringed by mangrove islands, protecting the shore from the force and power of strong storms. 

Some of these little islands have sandy shores.  It's easy to pull a boat up for a shelling walk.  In the early morning dawn hours you may feel as if you could be living a thousand years ago or were the last person on earth.

As the world population grows places of beauty and peace and yes, isolation, need to be preserved. The wild places give our souls room to breathe.  

Summer Morning, by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Summer Morning, 2015, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5"x7

My studio, and By a Waterway, daily painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

By a Waterway, 2015, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5"x7"

I primarily work out of the Esplanade studio, but am setting up a home studio in the back bedroom of my new home so that I can work there, too.  There's a nice big closet for all the materials artists love to have handy.  My materials includes several types of paint--acrylic, oil, water soluble oil, watercolors, pastels, and a few inks.  Then there's the painting supports--stretched canvas, canvas boards, all kinds of papers, notebooks, sketchbooks, colored paper.  Then something to work with--brushes, pencils, pens with brush tips or not, watercolor pencils, oil and chalk pastels.

Mostly stand at my easel while painting.  I've put in a nice big table so I can sit for drawing and sketching.  That's where I'll do the drawing for an upcoming children's book. At the moment there's a daybed, too, making a comfortable place for family to sleep when the house gets crowded.  

Unlike some artists, I prefer to work in neat surroundings.  I like to know where everything is, and to put it back when I'm finished with it. It helps me to clear my mind for the work at hand, and to focus on the painting in front of me.   I'll post some photos when it's all together!

In the Pink, 2015, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5"x7"

Some people have been watching Shark Week on TV. For me, it's been palm Month.  I started with a large Palm portrait.  You'll see in at the Art Center in September, and I'll put it up on the website soon.  I've done a number of daily paintings of palms, experimenting with some different techniques, colors, and textures.  

My small daily paintings are almost always done on board rather than a stretched canvas.  I choose artichival, materials and usually paint on a surface of a hardboard covered with a  medium-tooth canvas or linen.  I often use panels from RayMar, but equally enjoy the Gessoboard surface. SourceTek has a beautiful linen on birch that's also a pleasure to paint on.  It's a joy to use materials that make a job easy.