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.  

One in the Sun daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

One in the Sun, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn 

Acrylic on board, 5"x7"

Palm #3 daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Palm #3, 2017, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on cradled board, 4" x 4"

Another palm.  These small paintings are fun to do on cradled board.  It's a multi-layered process, first covering the block with a textured gel, then doing an abstract color layer, then finding the palm in the paint, sometimes completely changing the background, and finally the highlights. 

They can be hung just on a push pin or set on an easel.  You can find a small spot, maybe half hidden, like on the wall under a lampshade.  Every time you turn on the light, you will get the delight of finding a little gem.   

Classes and more! Daily painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

 Floral, 2015, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 7" x 5"

If we haven't spoken via newsletter, email, or social media, Happy New Year! I'm going with hope rather than despair, since it's so much more satisfying!     

It's been a busy time with the increase in traffic and the studio now open six days a week from New Years to Easter.  I've been slow to blog, spending more time on social media.  You can read my January newsletter on my website, and sign up  to receive it once a  month if you want. 

I will teach a three day workshop at the Art Center in March and hope to see you there.  More information here.  

In the meantime, at the request of visiting artists, I've been teaching at the Esplanade studio on Monday mornings.  The classes are structured with a single subject each week so you can take just one, or keep coming for as long as you are able. January's subject is the landscape. We'll paint "water" next Monday. Come along!  February will be all about color. There's a new "page" at the top of the blog with more information. 

You will hear from me from time to time here on this blog, and I may start posting the daily paintings again.  We'll see!  

Robert Genn, and Evening Vigil, painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Evening Vigil, 2013, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 20"x16"

 

I've never met artist Robert Genn, but he's come twice a week for coffee in the morning for several years now.  We're close.  He's dear to me.  When he wrote his blog post "the bomb" tears came to my eyes.  I can't imaging losing him.  

 

He's one of those men who, at least publicly, lives a life of grace.  Articulate and funny, full of wisdom, with an abiding understand of what matters at the heart of life, he's maneuvered me through many of the intricacies of becoming a better painter and all the while, a better person, too. 

 

I know someone diagnosed with his disease who got a reprieve, and wish this deeply for Robert.  In the meantime, my prayers will be with him as he takes a journey into the unknown, one we all must take in turn. 

 

Best wishes, Robert, however the circle turns. 

 

 

Blue Shutters, painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Blue Shutters, 2013, Jo-Ann Sanborn

oil on board, 8"x8"

 

My usual supplier of frames doesn't carry an 8"x8" size frame, so I'm having to order elsewhere.  I'll try several different styles, and see which ones you and I like.  I'll still be offering a gold choice, but will try a couple of wood frames, especially for the French paintings. 

 

I'm very much enjoying painting 8"x8"  and 12"x12" squares, and will re-arrange the studio to make a place to view them together.  I think it's much easier to choose if you can see all the choices in your size or price range. 

They should be in by the end of the month, so if you have your eye on an 8"x8" or a 12x12 painting, please be patient and I'll soon have just the right frame for you! 

 

Blue Shutters, above, was done in France.  It's an 8"x8" painting, and will soon have a nice frame! 

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! 

   

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!

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. 

Orchids, painting by Everglades artist JoAnn Sanborn

Orchids

acrylic on canvas, 30"x30"

Sold

I finally finished this painting, started for Art in Bloom last month at the Artist Colony. I'm pleased with the result, and love the 30"x30" format. It's large enough to make a nice painting, but small enough to move the acrylic paint across the surface without too much trouble.

The orchid basket used for this painting was in full bloom back in February, and the blooms are just now starting to fade. I have several orchids around the yard, and soak them once a month in water with some orchid fertilizer. Other than that they don't need much care.

Unlike some plants, which need to be coaxed along. Here's my tiny, expected to be beautiful, White Egret Flower plant, a gift from my sister last month. It sits near my sink in a west-facing window in the kitchen. It was started from half a peanut-sized bulb, and I've watered it faithfully since digging it up to make sure there was some action. The tiny sprout is starting to show signs of leafing out. Well, maybe it's too soon to actually be called leafing out. It's definitely alive, but what a slow grower!

I'm taking a chance here, since I'm not the greenest thumb around, but I'll keep you posted as this little guy grows. If I can keep the plant alive, sometime in August we should have beautiful flowers that look just like an Egret in flight!

Snowbirds to Shorebirds, Beach Sunrise painting by Marco Island artist JoAnn Sanborn

Beach Sunrise
16x20, acrylic on Canvas
$500

Now that snowbirds are starting to head home, some beach areas around Marco Island will become roped off, posted, and inaccessible for the hundreds of people who walk the beach each day. Portions of Big Marco Pass, Sand Dollar Island, Caxambas Pass and Keewaydin Island will be marked as off-limits to humans and become sanctuary to nesting and resting shore birds. These areas may move as the birds choose this year's nesting areas.

Four species of shore birds, the least tern, black skimmer, snowy plover and Wilson's plover nest on nearby sandy beaches. These species nest on the open sand and their well-camouflaged eggs are nearly invisible to the untrained human eye, and could be easily stepped by passers-by.

The "fencing" is mostly symbolic, but important for each of us to respect as we learn better ways to live with and sustain our environment. Learn more about Living with Shorebirds from the Florida Fish and Wildlife's Living with Wildlife series.

Full Moon, Commissions, Painting by Everglades artist JoAnn Sanborn

Today's Everglades painting is a 16x20, started and worked on just for the pleasure of it. I've been busy with commissions, including a large one due next week in soft neutrals with a touch of greens and blues, another of the Adirondack Valley, and another painting I'll give as a Christmas gift.

I usually have several paintings going at a time since it keeps the work fresh picking it up anew several times a day. It keeps me from getting bogged down in one paintings issues, which often solve themselves if I see them out of the corner of my eye while I"m working on something else.

Still, it was fun to do just what I wanted for a while! This painting will get another go-over before I'm done since the sky isn't quite right yet, but I love the dawn softness this scene will portray.

Have you been enjoying the glorious full moon we've had this week? A couple of days ago it was positively glowing when I left the gallery at the Esplanade and headed home. Lovely!

Children's Story Illustration Change from Everglades!

I've just delivered the first six illustrations for a children's story called "The Berry Good Berry and Nut Company" Let me introduce you to Sammy Squirrel and his helper Midget Mouse. Midget is throwing her worries to the wind at Wayward Willies, and the friends are relaxing at Sally's Swill. Yes, Sally's Swill - no comments, please! After a lot of sketching (how does a squirrel's shoulder look when he's moving, where is a mouse tail actually attached?) I used mixed media, including watercolor, watercolor pencils, and India ink pens and brushes. Faber Castell artist pens with brush tips were new to me and a pleasure to use. Quite a change from my usual Everglades. I'm sure it will help me to grow as an artist. How far out of your comfort zone in life are you willing to go to grow?

In the Swamp Daily Everglades Painting

This summer we awake to the sound of the "mosquito plane"buzzing overhead more often than we have for several years. We're having more rain this year and more rain means more mosquitoes. In Collier County the Mosquito Control Board has the job of determining where and when the mosquito level becomes dangerous to humans. When the numbers get too high they send up spraying planes in the early morning. I'm not a fan of toying with Mother Nature, and in our almost perfect paradise it's one of my least favorite things that happen here. There must be some effective natural remedies. We've seen swarms of dragonflies seeming to do the same job quite well. Where are they this year?
Today's painting is again of the Swamp. In the fresh, clear water there are many mosquito fish, who eat enormous amounts of mosquito larvae, a natural control mechanism of the Everglades. Some counties encourage their use and give them away for mosquito control purposes. Perhaps we ought to be building backyard ponds on Marco Island

In the Swamp
7" x 5" (17.8cm x 12.7cm)
acrylic on board
$150 with FREE shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Here's a reminder that I'll be teaching a four-day workshop on the Florida Landscape in Acrylics at the Marco Island Center for the Arts on Marco Island. Weather permitting, a portion of each day will be spent outside learning from nature. We'll spend a day on the acrylic material, concentrate on composition, color, the parts of the landscape, and putting it all together with your own artistic signature. It's an intensive class, so come prepared to work, but we'll have some fun too. The class will take place from April 7-10, 9:30-4, and you can sign up at the Art League of Marco Island, in person or by calling 239-394-4421. If you haven't used acrylics before it's a good start. They're kind to the environment and to your health. Call or e-mail me if you have any questions about the class. Hope you can join me!