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.

Art Marketing, Warming Up daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Warming Up

7x5 $150

Don't we all wish it was warming up today? It's been a chilling winter in southwest Florida. This morning it's 39 degrees with a wind chill of 23 and an expected high of 53! Those of us who have lived here a while have adapted to warmer temperatures and are quite uncomfortable when the temperature really dips down. Most of us have gotten rid of the northern clothes we came with since they were just taking up room our limited closet space. We're left to make do with layers of our everyday cottons.

I've got three layers on right now and looking for something warm that will fit over it all. At the grocery my fellow islanders are wrapped in layers of clothes and scarfs they bring out for the cold. But there's always a stray northerner in a tee shirt and shorts who thinks the weather is perfect!

At least we know it won't last for two long. Perhaps someone from the cold north will like today's daily Everglades painting as a reminder as a reminder that paradise does exist! I'll be happy to send it up, free shipping.

Many of the artists have been thinking a lot about art marketing in the declining economy. We're looking for new and better ways to promote our art. Some of us have worked so hard that we're beginning to get marketing fatigue! However, there's an article in today's Marco Eagle that I'd like to share. It's an article including 44 ideas for growing profits, but really is a list of good business practices. If you have a good product and people know about it, the edge is to be a good business person. That goes for any type of business, including art.

Twitter, Outdoor Artist, New Day Daily Painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Brr-r-r. It's cold outside this morning despite my two layers of clothing. That's the news over much of the country and the most talked about subject on Twitter this morning. I intend to spend the morning in the warm studio rather than venturing out, and may even turn on the heat to warm things up just a little. Wednesday is the Marco Island Outdoor Artists paint the island together day, and you may see some brave souls painting outside in Old Marco today, at either Mereck's Restaurant, the shops, or the old Marco Inn. You may want to wait wait until the day warms up just a little before looking for them, thought! Hope you're able to stay warm and cozy wherever you are today!

Today's daily painting is of a place in the Everglades where the composition is simple and pleasing. I've watched the small mangrove grow from just a few leaves to a nice full bush. There's usually an alligator sunning on the far bank.

New Day
7" x 5"
acrylic on Panel
$150 with free shipping and handling in the US