Bonita Show Review

With the Studio at the Esplanade on Marco, I haven't felt the need to do the outdoor shows in the last few years.  Lately I've wanted to re-connect with my client base (I did), see if I'm still priced competitively (I am) and see what's new in the Art world. (some good, some not so good)

It used to be something special to attend an art show, but now there are so many that there's one every weekend somewhere close. People don't understand the difference between a juried and unjuried show, and sometimes it doesn't matter anyway. 

The Bonita Show is a juried, quality, well-run show with some terrific artwork in many disciplines.  Traffic at the show could have been heavier, much heavier, but the word was that with so many shows around people are just tired.  I enjoyed meeting old friends, connected with many who said they had missed me, and made a few new friends, too. 

It was nice to see art friends Phyllis Pransky, Bob Ewell, and Tom Ross, as well as new work by Barbara Groenteman.  Naples Calendar artist John BARTolous stopped by, too.

The photo above was taken by my artist friend Mary Sheehan Winn.  Thanks, Mary.  She's fun and fabulous, and teaching now in Naples.  We met, as many artists today, by admiring each others art on the Internet!

We all watched the weather on Saturday as a storm came and went very close by. How did we ever get by without iPhone radar to show exactly where the storm was? Rain threatened briefly on Sunday, late, but again stayed away. Phew!

I remembered everything I needed, set up with the help of a friend and took down myself on Sunday. I can still do it, although my body knows I did something different and the muscles not used in a while are complaining a bit! Like every show I've ever done some artists did quite well, and others are looking hopefully towards their next show.

Thank you to those who purchased, those who will visit the studio, and those who said kind things.  It was well worth the effort, although I most likely won't do it again any time soon!

Natural World, Bright Light daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Bright Light, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5"x7"

I've felt connected to our natural world since I was a child.  I'd stop to smell the breeze on the salty air of Gloucester, MA, where I grew up.  I loved to find little a special rock, a beautiful leave, or a bits of sea glass for my treasure box.  My garden here contains many such "bits."

With so very many people in the world now, (we're approaching seven billion!) it's easy to lose touch with nature.  Our natural world needs the stewardship of those who care, and its hard to care if you are out of touch. 

No matter where you are, try to enjoy a "quiet moment" each day, outside.  Listen to the sounds of nature.  Is it quiet, with nothing stirring, or do you hear voices of birds, insects and other animals going about their daily business? 

Enjoy the magnificent beauty of the sky any time of day.  Notice how the color blue changes from the horizon to the zenith.  Mark the edges of day by greeting the sunrise or noting the day's end. 

What's the smell on your breeze?

Rules of Engagement, One Quiet Palm, daily painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

One Quiet Palm, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5x7

One of the joys of having a public studio in the Esplanade on Marco Island, FL is the ability to engage with other artists and art collectors.  The Esplanade is a gathering place, with three restaurants, a Starbucks, Ice Cream, and several other shops and artist studios.  People sit and drink their morning coffee on benches in the shade of the palm trees and enjoy the sound of the fountain.  They take their morning walk along the quay by the boats.  By lunchtime people meet and greet for lunch at the popular CJ’s on the Bay, and later in the day people begin arriving to watch the sun go down behind the Star Bar. 

It’s a great place for artist studios.  Locals, Floridians, and visitors from all over the world wander in and out of the Artist Colony at the Esplanade.  Some are art collectors, some are artists, some are looking for a handmade souvenir,  some want a painting for their home.  Some people are just looking for something to do beyond the beach. 

No matter which category you fall into, when YOU walk into an artist’s studio or gallery, how do you feel?  Do you engage with the art?

• Are you afraid to speak, afraid of the hard sell?
• Do you look at each painting and consider how it makes you feel?
• Do you stand back with your hands behind your back impersonally hoping no one will speak to you?
• Do you look at a piece and wonder how or why the artist was drawn to the subject?
• Do you walk through fast, judging quickly or do you take the time to consider each artist's work or a special piece?
• If you don’t like the art at all, do you think you must be polite anyway?
• Do you know what draws you in, and why? 

No matter how you approach the art, don't be afraid to engage with either the art or the artist.  YOU, and your consideration of our work are the second half of our fulfillment.  Creating the art itself is the first.