Around the Bend     30" x 24"

I was looking for information about something that took place years ago, and my old blog provided the answer!  I discovered that the blog was really a history of my art life, so you may enjoy taking a look at some of the older past entries.  No promises here, but I hate to let it go, so you may get a post from time to time.  

This painting, Around the Bend, was recently shown at the Art Ovation Hotel in Sarasota, FL.  Every few months the hotel hosts a new art exhibition.  My painting was included in an exhibition for members of the National Association of Women Artists-Florida Chapter.  If you're an artist and would like wider exposure, this organization promotes exhibitions of women's art and has two levels of membership.  Take a look here!

One good thing about the blog is that you are invited to comment, which you can do below if you're so inclined.  You know I love to hear from you.  

Coastal View, painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Coastal View, 2013, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 24"x20"

 

Paths leading to the gulf are always a favorite subject.  In today's painting I've left out a couple of buildings that encroach on the natural view, and included just the tall palms and the beautiful sky.  Later on this day there was a downpour, but by then I was safely home. 

 

I painting this location a few years ago, and found that it was pretty much the same, except that the palms had grown even taller.  I'll go back again after a while, its such a pretty scene. 

Among Friends, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 40"x30"

Among Friends is the first painting I completed in 2013.  It marks 20 years since I left New England for the south.  When I first arrived on Marco Island and crossed over the bridge into a new life, it felt like I was in an alien land.  

I didn't know anything about palm trees or palm rats.  The profusion of flowers were different from what I was used to. There were no familiar landforms of hills and rocks to help me find my way.  And then there were the Everglades, rich with bold shapes and uncommon colors, and I fell in love.  

A lot of the population is transient, and another group comes and goes seasonally.  Several people I met early on have left to go back to somewhere else they call home.  Some stay in touch and others are lost to time and distance.  It took took a while to form friendships that will last. 

Now, however, I feel as though I'm among friends on Marco Island. It's a crazy group, some artists, some not.  Each one from somewhere else, with all the baggage of a lifetime but still up for a laugh.  You have a special place in my heart, and I treasure you all.   

Words to Artists, and Family of Five, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Family of Five, 2013, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5"x7"

On Painting

Get in a painting routine and stick to it.

Painters paint, every day. 

Paint every day and you will get better at it. 

Paint what you love.

If your work is boring to you, it will be boring to others.


On Learning

Study about painting when you are not painting

Look at other peoples painting to see how they view subjects.

Know who your influences are

Always be ready to record a new idea for use later through sketching, photography, etc.

On Life

Keep an open mind and be willing to try new things.

Always challenge yourself.

Vary your routines from time to time to stay fresh.

Stop reading this and go paint!

The Channel Paintings, and Morning Lessons, daily painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Morning Lessons, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 7"x5"

 

Today's small Everglades painting is a result of a little bit of a foggy morning last week.  The sky had touches of pink in it, and everything else was subdued.  The larger palm looks like it might be teaching something to the smaller one. 

 

I paint the palms so often that they often take on human personalities in my mind.  I guess we're both living things, doing the best we can to get by.  Living on the edge of a waterway that often floods and has few nutrients could be quite a challenge, but unless we can talk to the palms we'll never know. 

 

 

 

Dawning is being shown in the lobby of the City Hall  in Palm Beach Gardens this month as part of a National Association of Women Artists show, Image Makers.  I was delighted to get a call last week letting me know that it had won an honorable mention. It's part of a series of "channel" paintings that I've done over the last eight months.  Someone asked me what they mean.  They're a little hard for me to explain, but here goes.

 

The Channel Series

 

A channel, a passage, a transition.  

The edges of day.

  The overwhelming beauty of nature,

 The fear of being overwhelmed. 

Making your way into the light. 

 A little bit of all these things, and something else,

 something beyond our understanding.   

Exploring an idea, and Late Day Light by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Late Day Light, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 11x14

 

 

I'm continuing to explore the late day light against the trunks of a row of palms seen recently in the Everglades at the end of a day.  I was so lucky to have see it.  Moments like this fade quickly, and if you happen to be looking the other way you might miss it completely.  Morning light is often like that, fading or changing quickly while I'm in the shower! 

 

Although I have painted almost every day for years, being inside the studio for so many hours a week will definitely have an effect on my work.  I'm not sure how--like most artists I may never know.  You just have to paint from the heart and hope the finished product will please you and make someone happy. 

 

In this series I am finding that the balances are very delicate.  I'm talking about how many verticals, and their position, as well as the color harmony.  Painting is a process, and as this painting developed the palm trunks changed position a few times.  I'd like to get them leaning a little more, but when I tried leaning them, the whole looked rather forced and trivial.  They ended up straight again. 

 

In nature each plant finds its own space, and it may take another visit to the spot to see exactly how they grow in order to change what my mind has seen. More to think about, and maybe work on in another painting. I may do a still larger painting of this subject, but am not sure how it will translate.  I'll think about it and maybe some sketches to see if it will scale well.

Everglades Light

Everglades Light, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 11x14, sold

 

The drop in humidity and a little coolness makes it a wonderful time of year to get out into the Everglades.  There's plenty of water from the summer rains.  The sloughs are full, and in the quiet you can hear the surface water gurgling softly on it's way to the Gulf.  With a  100 mile wide river of grass to get through, and only a slight decrease in elevation, the water is on a long, slow journey.  

 

There are more wading birds feeding in the shallow water, and more overhead.  Some will stay for the winter, but others are just passing through.  

 

Much of the land from Marco Island to Miami is preserved.  Spending time in nature calms our souls, lowers the blood pressure, and makes us realize we're only a small part of a much larger world. If you're not sure what to do or where to go on your own in the Everglades, stop into the studio and I'll give you a map of some easy and inexpensive ways to orient yourselves to the wonderful Everglades environment.

 

Today's painting is a larger version of the one I did last week.    Exploring the palms standing out against a background of brush is a subject I haven't visited for a while, but continues to intrigue. It's from a place I often pass, but don't get to stop and absorb.  Last week the late day light was perfect.  Everglades magic! 

Where Inspiration meets Execution! Off to the Beach painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Off to the Beach, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 20x24

My inspiration is the land around me.  I find that being outside in natural surroundings makes me want to paint, and inspires me to paint again and again. Nature is my muse. 

Every time I'm outside absorbing nature's bounty, I notice something I might never have seen before, or seen a million times before, without notice.  The way the leaves of a Sable Palm rustle and ripple in the wind, the shape of a swamp lily bloom following the sun, colors that sing, light that delights.

Then it's off to the easel, hoping through my efforts to translate that vision, that gift, onto a canvas.  And hoping that the moment will be recorded in time, and that you will look at the painting and say "ah."

And where inspiration meets execution successfully, you'll feel it, too.  When it's right, it will please you, delight you, and touch your heart.  And the painting will mean something in a way that is bigger and better than either of us.  That's the joy of original art. 

ArtWalk! Southern Spring painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Southern Spring, 2012, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on canvas, 36" x 48"

I dropped and of course, broke, my camera, and can't seem to get a good photo of this painting on my phone.  Another camera is on order, and my very dear client was kind enough to take this photo for me of a  commission just finished and delivered. 

This lovely couple already own one of my paintings, and found that they liked living with it.  They thought of my work to fill the foyer at the entrance to their home. 

Commissions are very difficult for me, since you never really know what someone else is envisioning. Without clear direction, I was on my own as far as composition and to some extent, color.  I wanted the painting to be strong enough to hold it's own between the two beautifully carved pillars.  I wanted to give it some distance, too, bringing you in rather than stopping you, creating a barrier.  And I wanted it different from the other painting they owned, yet compatible. 

I'm always a little nervous delivering a finished, comission piece.  They loved it, and said,  

"I can't tell you how pleased we are with our commission. The more we look at it, the more proud we are.  I want you to know that your two paintings displayed in our home make us very proud. This painting is highlighted in the foyer niche and will make a statement to all who visit us. Thank you!

Phew!

The Artist Colony at the Esplanade's ArtWalk is tonight from 5 - 8.  We always try to have something special for you, and tonight, in addition to our usual refreshments and new art work, we'll have both Michael Smith and some Strummers to play for you. 

If you take part in our Scavenger Hunt, and get all the right answers, you"ll be eligible to win our Easter Basket, filled with goodies from each of the artists in the Colony. 

Hope to see you tonight! 

   

Light in the Landscape and Afternoon Sail,daily painting by Evergldes artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Afternoon Sail, 2011, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 2011

Aren't we so fortunate to live in Florida this time of year?  We can take an afternoon sail, while those up north are shoveling snow.  Love it!

We're having a great time in the Color Mixing Class.  The class has made color wheels, color triangles, and individual color charts.  They've investigated limited palettes, and been amazed by the range of colors they can create. They've found colors they love and colors they really don't want on their palettes. 

They've learned to make color charts, they've learned about color values and made value balls in black and white and in color.  Something about color temperature, too.  They've learned that a color is different in light and in shade, how to tone down a color and how to compliment it.  Some ah-ha moments, too.

Next month I'll be teaching a class on Light in the Landscape.  We'll learn how light acts on the landscape, how it moves around forms in the landscape, and investigate the light at different times of day and in different atmospheric conditions. 

It's a three-hour class and we'll have to work from photos since there's not enough time to get outside to paint.  I know this is no substitute for looking at the actual landscape, but you can start getting ready by being more aware of the light in preparation for class.

If you'd like to learn along with us, you can sign up here.  "Love is in the Air" today, so see you at ArtWalk tonight.

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. 

Painting Supports, Edge of a Prairie by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Edge of a Prairie, 2012

acrylic on board, 5"x7"

Artists use a variety of supports for their paintings.  I most often use stretched canvas for medium to large paintings.  I order it already stretched.  It comes medium weave canvas, tightly stretched, is most often double or tripled primed.  When an order comes I open it, prime again if necessary, and tone all the canvases.  I almost always have  have a nice supply of sizes ready to paint.

Canvas or linen on board is the choice for my smaller, daily paintings.  Since my favorite supplier is no longer making the panels I prefer, I'm trying out a variety of others, and finding surfaces that work for me. 

For my recent Snowmen project I used gesso board.  It's much smoother than a canvas, but I enjoyed how it grabbed the paint and gave me a nice resistance with dry brush. I'll try a few larger paintings on it, too.   

Linen is a wonderful fiber, but I've found that the stretched linen sags too much for my vigorous painting methods.  Recently I've tried linen on board, and loved it, and will use it more in the future. 

I've also been trying a variety of hard boards.  Someone recently questioned me about what board means, and about its quality.  I want to make it clear that when I say "board" I paint on quality material of archival quality.  It's definitely NOT the cardboard panels often used for student work! 

Archival quality board is often an actual board, like birch, but more often is a composite of wood, which won't warp easily.  Archival means that nothing in the  making of the board will leach into or onto the surface or back of my painting.  It's protected and will withstand the test of time. 

Lovely hardboards, linen boards, and gessoboards can easily be purchased at any online artist supply store.  Try something new and let me know your favorites!

Support for the Arts, Autumn Grasses painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Autumn Grasses, 2011 © Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on Canvas, 18"x24

Sometimes a painting that you think is done isn't.  This is one I showed a couple of weeks ago and then went back in and tightened up.  You can see the older vision here.

Last year the City of Marco Island presented the lovely FLAME awards to people who  excelled in encouraging the arts in our community. Tonight I'll speak to the Marco Island City Council to again ask for support for the awards and to tell them of a new project the Arts Advisory Committee would like to present to the public. 

 Even thought our City funds parks, recreation, and beautification, and has a huge capital program, funding for the arts is a struggle! In this tight economy, it's uncertain whether support for the arts, even a small amount, will be granted.

Our growing City needs more than a beach.  We know by now that the arts enrich our community.  We also know that the arts bring money to a community by providing jobs and exciting things to do, and that cultural tourists who visit spend more and stay longer in an arts community.  The arts help our housing market since people what to live where there are arts opportunities

.

A few years ago a poll of the people on Marco showed a clear majority would pay a dollar to two a year for the arts.  Funding for the FLAME award is under a nickel per person a year!
 

Let's ensure that the arts are alive and well on Marco Island.  If you live on Marco, give your Council person a call or a quick email and ask them to support the arts on Marco by recognizing those who do the work with a FLAME award.  Thanks! 

My class "Color Mixing" starts today, and I'll teach "Light and the Florida Landscape" next month.  Both will be taught at the Marco Island Center for the Arts. 

Thanksgiving, Out on Jane's by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Out on Janes, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on Canvas, 16"x20"

So much to be thankful for! For me Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and really appreciate my life.   I’ve never gone hungry, always have had a roof over my head, a terrific and supportive family, a sustaining relationship with my dear husband, and work I’ve found satisfying.

 

That doesn’t mean I’ve never had hard times.  I have, but I try not to focus on them.  Get through them, learn from them, and move on.  This Thanksgiving I’ll focus on what I’m thankful for as a working artist. 

I love my job. 

There’s a beautiful world to paint.

 

My paintings are recognizable anywhere as my own

           

The warm, wonderful and changing light of South Florida provides daily inspiration

I have quality materials, and right now at least, enough of them

A supportive Artist Colony to share with and learn from.

A wonderful studio at a cost I can afford. 

Students where learning goes both ways. 

Collectors who respond to my work in a positive way.

Visitors from all over the world who visit my studio and enrich my life. 

And that’s just a start.  Artists still need to eat, so I'll be cooking the Thanksgiving turkey.  I'm thankful for that, too.  What are you thankful for? 

Have a wonderful and thankful Thanksgiving holiday!

Wrong Blog! Daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Stella, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 5"x5"

Wait, you're on the right blog!  Come back!  No palm trees or open prairie.  But a DOG?

Let me introduce you to Stella, the dog of a friend.  Stella's my friend, too.  As long as I give her treats, anyway. 

It's birthday time.  She lovers her dog.  Her dog loves her.  She'll love it. And no, I won't make a habit of it.   

Full of Promise, painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Autumn Song, 2011, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on linen, 20"x24

We look at the beauty of the land surrounding us, and take a moment to savor the promise of the day.  Autumn Song has taken on a richness and glow through layers of glazing and building up and cutting back. 

Through a touch of good fortune and an instructor who believes in the arts and community, the Artist Colony at the Esplanade is working with the Marco Island Academy with the eventual goal of producing a film about the Colony, with a short clip about each individual artist.  

The first step will be for the students to write an article for the school newspaper about their plans.  Joshua, Jakob and Armando interviewed me, as founder of the Colony, for some background information, and about my work.  They were well prepared, full of energy, and full of promise.  The techno savvy and the energy at the school was full of promise, too.  I'm excited about this opportunity!

Update!  Instructor has left and project in limbo.  Stay tuned!

Outspoken, Studio painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Outspoken, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on Canvas, 36"x24"

Outspoken is about boldness.  The brushstrokes are heavy and defined, and the palm dominates the background.  The sawgrass is dense and barely let the palm through but it somehow got a foothold and prevailed.  The light glows softly and the result pleases me.  I'm painting again!

Finishing the book Embracing the Everglades, redoing the studio, and updating my website has really cut into my painting time.  While I've been creating, I haven't been painting as much.  The endorphins are high when I view a blank canvas, and the discipline of painting at least a little almost every day can be as addictive as a daily run for some people.  I'm anxious to get back to a regular schedule.   

Sometimes, for an artist, a break can be refreshing.  Somehow the brain is still working on painting, and when you go back you find that you've figured something out, grown in another direction, or have learned something new.  Your style may have changed a little because of the break, because you have, too. 

So I'm looking forward to the next few months.  Marco will be energized by the return of the snowbirds.  The Everglades will be more inviting to visit with fewer mosquitoes and showers.  I'll be back to painting a regular schedule. 

I'll be experimenting with some new techniques.  I want more texture, more movement and interest in the brushwork, but also want the interior glow of a luminous painting.  Can these be both obtained in the same painting? Glazing?  Transparent Color?  Substrata? Additives?   We'll see. 

Rock Star, Inside or Out? Daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Rock Star, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 5x7

One of the questions I’m most often asked is “did you paint this outside, or in the studio?” My answer more often now than in the past is that I painted inside. Years of time were spent painting outside a couple of times a week. I still visit the Everglades every chance I get, and usually take a number of photos to work from.

These photos are not carefully composed to ensure I get every detail, but casually taken to remind me of what I saw. It could be the way the light hit a particular feature of the landscape or perhaps the way a palm frond thrusts up into the sky. In any case, a glace will transport me back to the time and place and I’m ready to begin.

You can’t learn to paint landscapes inside. I harp on this theme often, since I teach a landscape class inside. You must get outside in order to see the relationships of time, space and color for yourself. All of the lessons I give inside can prime you, and help you, but you must study the natural world from observation to learn to paint the landscape well.

When I’m outside, my paintings are more responsive and immediate as I react to the reality of the wind, sun, light, and foliage. More choices are in my face, and I must work quickly and loosely to capture the scene. 

As a more mature artist, I find that studio time allows me to be more reflective and thoughtful. My paintings delve deeper into the well of knowledge I’m still acquiring. I can make and change choices of features, color, light and time of day.

Is one better than the other? I don’t think so. I’ve come to believe that working both inside and outside helps me to see better, think better, and develop more deeply as an artist.

Ground Hog Day, Autumn Silhouette, painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Happy Ground Hog Day!  Wishing you in the frozen northlands an early spring!  No shadow, Spring is near.

Autumn Silhouette

Acrylic on Canvas, 20"x24"

I’ve been working on Autumn Silhouette since I posted about improving it here. As I feared, once you change something in a painting all the relationships change.  There was much more work to do than just changing the direction of the clouds, but when you compare the pieces you see that the extra work was most necessary. Luckily, this is fairly easy to do in acrylic paint. 

The clouds have been lightened and are now floating through the sky in a much lighter manner. The direction is better, too.  The values in the whole piece were strengthened and sometimes corrected. The weeds at the base of the palm are much more interesting and believable, and the color of the distant brush line has been softened.

Sometimes we don’t notice when a painting isn’t quite right. Sometimes the painting doesn’t sell, and we recognize the problem when taking a second look. No matter how we discover something isn’t quite right, once we notice it, it’s always worth the extra work to correct it.

Color Confidence Class

Color Confidence is over, and what a wonderful class it was! I’ve asked my students to pose for you with their favorite piece. You can see how different the subject matter and styles are. In the four short weeks we covered color mixing, color value, color harmonies and color temperature. Color for me is an inexhaustible subject and there’s always something new to learn.

My next class will be Tuesday mornings starting March 8th, acrylics and the Florida Landscape. We’ll discuss the parts of the landscape, trees, clouds, water, and atmospheric progression in short two hour bites. Maybe some homework? I’ll give handouts and we’ll critique at the end of every session.


Because the class is the short and sweet variety, only two hours per session, there’s not enough time to go outside and paint. As artist Stapleton Kearns says “learning to paint the landscape inside is like learning to swim on the sofa.” So I’ve asked the Art League to add another day and we’ll take a morning to paint out in the Everglades. You can call the Art League of Marco or sign up online if you’d like to come along!