Iguanas & Clyde, Good Morning daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Good Morning

5x7 Acrylic on board

$150

It is a good morning, with just a few hints that our cold, cold spell may be weakening. With only one wool sweater left I've been hard pressed to stay warm. The sweater is thigh-length, old enough for the fashion to have come around again!

Yes, frozen iguanas! I saw one for myself in the parking lot of the Marco Island Library early one morning when returning some books. The poor iguana had gotten cold enough to loose his grip and fall from tree. Someone had gently place a construction cone near the cold body to avoid a squishing incident, but with the ongoing construction most people just walked by without looking down.

I've heard that they will warm up and recover. Unless, of course, the iguana collector comes by and sends them into the big chill forever. Iguanas are not native to Southwest Florida, and there are efforts underway to rid the island of them. This cold spell we've been having has made collecting easy.
I have mixed feelings about the green iguanas. They are exotic and beautiful, but do a lot of harm to the seawalls and foliage, and worse, apparently eat the eggs of our birds. Still, I'm sorry to see the suffering.

We attended the screening of the Big Cypress Swamp, the Western Everglades, last night at the Von Liebig, and all the Everglades people were in attendance. We spoke with Everglades photographer Clyde Butcher, filmmaker Elan Stoltzfus, Big Cypress Interpreter Ranger Bob Degrosse, and were delighted to see a group of Seminoles in colorful costumes.

The film takes you on a journey through the Western Everglades, the area closest to us and quite different from the Miami side River of Grass. I'll have the film in my studio gallery at the Esplanade, and will be happy to loan it to you overnight for a returnable deposit.

This weekend Rookery Bay, just north of Marco Island will hold its Nature Festival. With lectures, demonstrations, swamp walks, rides and cruises, there should be something for everyone. It's a great way to get a feel for our environment without getting too far off the beaten path.

I, along with other Marco Island professional and aspiring artists, will be be participating in the Left Bank Art Fest at the Esplanade on Marco, about 1/2 mile on the right as you come over the bridge. There's plenty of parking only a short walk away in the city lot by Winn Dixie. I'll be inside my gallery, and urge you to visit the artists both inside and out! The Left Bank Art Show is produced by the Marco Island Foundation for the Arts.

In addition, the Marco Island Center for the Arts is holding a Craft Fair on the Art League grounds on Winterberry.

Iguana, Head above the Rest daily painting by Everglades artist JoAnn Sanborn

Head above the Rest

5x7, Acrylic on Canvas

$150, framed

In the Everglades a single palm tree is such a strong image. Each one comes with a personality all it's own. Who would you say this one reminds you off.

This little guy surprised me by sunning himself on the sea wall the other day as I was painting in my studio. It's the first one I've seen so close to home. As soon as I opened the door to get his photo, he hunched over and deflated, so isn't nearly as handsome as he first appeared. I only had my small camera, and as soon as I stepped out to get a closer picture he jumped into the water, a perfect dive, and swam quickly away. I knew Iguanas swam, but the speed was incredible! Haven't seen him since, but he's probably living somewhere close by.

As you most likely know, Iguanas are an invasive species on Marco Island. Gorgeous as he was I wasn't all that happy to see him. If only they didn't eat the birds eggs!

Owls and Panthers and Iguanas, oh my! On the Water Daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

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

Today's daily painting, A Day on the Water, was inspired by the fact that so many Marco Islanders spent Memorial Day weekend on a boat or near the water. We're really a water community, and sometimes this time of year canal traffic can rival the streets! People congregate on the beaches and in boats and on the surrounding islands enjoying our natural environment.

Other creatures of our natural environment have been making the news this week. Our burrowing owl population is down, in part because their food source has been affected by drought, and in part because of the heavy hand of man. This photo, taken near my home was an active burrow until the city repaired a storm drain on the site with heavy machinery compacting the soil. As a result, no owls this year.

But the little peanut shaped birds are active in other burrows, and we're hoping for a good wet season and a comeback for this charming population. As you can read here, our owls bring birders from near and far.

A rare sighting of an endangered Florida panther also made the news this week. Early morning volunteers on the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Boardwalk were surprised and delighted to see a female panther on the boardwalk in front of them. They were able to get some surprisingly good video of the animal. Wow!

And then, there's the Green Iguana. They're exotic, and gorgeous, and have growing populations in several places on Marco. They're in invasive species that climb trees easily and eat the eggs of our local birds and have no natural predator. Birds, or Iguanas? Should the City eradication program continue? It's ugly, but my vote is for the birds.