Can't We Do Better? Looking Up daily painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Looking Up, Jo-Ann Sanborn

5"x7", acrylic on board

I was most disappointed to see this upside down tank with a treadmill atop as our national statement at the Venice Biennale this year.  .  It's gotten some great reviews, but to me it's just another story of us beating ourselves up again.  That story's old.

American artists have the freedom to create artwork with any message anywhere, anytime. How sad that these pieces, with their tired little story were chosen as our international message. Why not find and show pieces of Americans looking to the future with courage and hope and ability? Now that would surprise us!

The deadline for the US Grant for 2012 has already past,  but let's think about 2013,  If we're still here, let's start Looking Up! 

Don't forget the Art League Second Tuesday Social tomorrow.  Welcome new Executive Director Lynn Holley.  

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. 

New Director for the Center for the Arts, Fun in the Sun daily painting by Everglades artist JoAnn Sanborn

Fun in the Sun, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 5"x7"

Lynn Holley is the new director at the Marco Island Center for the Arts.  I first heard about of Lynn from a friend of hers who wandered into my studio at the Esplanade and ended up purchasing one of my daily paintings for her home. 

My new collector was waiting for a friend being interviewed for a new job.  She raved about her Lynn's abilities and qualifications even before she knew I had any personal interest.  It was nice hearing that kind of support from a friend.

Lynn is eminently qualified, knows that the Center for the Arts has been under a bit of a rain cloud lately, and is just itching to take on the challenge of turning things around. She has some great ideas, and is already in the process of implementing them.  She says she's here for the long haul, and there's every indication she means it.

Center staff, Linda Henell, Lynn Holley, Cindy Crane

If you've dropped your membership,  it's time to renew.  Don't wait!  There will be some good things going on, and you'll want to be part of it.  If you've been hanging in the background, now is the time to get involved. We're going to have some fun in the sun! 

Many of our members are away for the summer, but if you're around you can welcome Lynn at the Second Tuesday Social, on June 14th at 5:30. Bring your friends.  Admission is free for everyone, and we can help her drink up some of the wine that's in a back room she'd like to use as a gallery!

Affected or Infected? Homer's boat, painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Homer's Boat

How do you find that personal creative place inside yourself when you approach an empty canvas?  Once you know what you want the subject to be, how do you find that place deep inside that allows you to interpret it your own way? What can you learn from others to make it happen? 

Looking at the work of others to see how they might have interpreted a subject and trying their techniques, copying the work of master painters is all a part of the process of growing as an artist.  So is taking workshops from established artists to learn new ideas and methods of working.   

Doing, and reading, doing, and studying, doing, and experimenting is really what ensures you'll develop your own artistic voice.  All said, it's mostly in the doing, and doing again. 

There’s a fine line between what’s really yours and what really belongs to someone else. While you can learn from imitation, continually feeding off another's creativity will sap your energy like an infection.

I've been playing with the palette knife, and looking at any number of boat paintings.  Today's painting most assuredly has become Homer's Boat.

Hurricane tips for Collectors, The Light and the Water painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

The Light and the Water, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 16"x20"

Red face!  I'm learning how to schedule my posts and hit the wrong button AGAIN.  Today is the time for this post! My apologies if you've gotten this twice.

As promised Wednesday, here are some tips for art collectors who may find their artwork threatened by hurricane. 

1. Even though you may have very good insurance on your home, fine art is not usually covered unless you have a separate insurance rider. If you have valuable art, call your insurance agent long before disaster strikes to ensure you have the financial protection you want.

2. At the beginning of Hurricane Season sort your collection to determine what you must take with you if you have to evacuate, and what must stay behind. MakeCandidates for taking will be those of high value, or the artist is no longer living, or paintings with sentimental value.

Make a list, and keep it with your disaster evacuation list.  If you don't have such a list, see Wednesday's post

3. Purchase the materials you will need to wrap and protect your paintings, and have them on hand before you need them. Also purchase water proof plastic containers for those that will stay behind.

4. Wrap the paintings going with you in brown paper or tissue, place in large plastic bag, wrap with bubble wrap and place in an upright carton in the car. An upright box is less likely to be punctured by something else as you pack, and you won’t put something too heavy on top, either. My experience is that packing tight leaves less room for trouble.

5. Wrap those that will stay as in #4, and place in plastic waterproof containers if small enough, and plastic again if not. Wrap so that water cannot penetrate your wrappings. Do not count on duct tape, it will seep if it gets wet.

6. Work toward placing paintings where they will not get punctured. Punctures can be repaired, but it's not easy! If you don't expect high water, inside the car you are leaving behind may provide protection from wind damage.

7. If the storm is bad enough, water could be in your home for several days. Place the paintings as high up in your home as possible to avoid water intrusion. Look for places away from windows and exterior walls.

My Everglades paintings are acrylic, strong and waterproof. I've had a couple go through hurricanes, get covered with bits of detritus, and washed off all to full recovery. If you have one of my paintings and have questions after a disaster, give me a call. Canvas tears can often be repaired and frames can be replaced.

Most important, stay safe first. The rest can all be dealt with!

Disaster Plan Now Sunny Side up painting by Everglades Artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Sunny Side Up, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 12"x16"

The rainy season has come in southwest Florida, and while the parched ground of the glades will welcome the rain, the strength of some storms can be a grave threat to humans.  June 1 is the start of Hurricane Season  and now is the time to prepare for what lies ahead.

As a FEMA disaster assistance employee for many years, I know well the havoc nature can make on well-planned lives.  I urge you to make a plan that will keep you and your family safe in the months ahead.  Federal and state governments offer information and materials that can assist you in planning.    You can visit readyamerican.gov on Facebook or myflorida.com/ to get started.

Once you have a plan for you and your family's safety, you can begin to think about your art business or your art collection.  Tomorrow I'll tell you a little about how to prepare your paintings in the face of a storm.

Long on Memory daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Long on Memory, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 6"6"

My dad was a veteran of World War II, and every Memorial Day a small flag is placed on his grave by the local veteran's organization.  He wasn't killed in the war, but did die young, and the sight of a flag on any veteran's grave makes me appreciate, once again, the sacrifices that young men and women made and still make for our freedom. 

As a child, on the evening before Memorial Day students in my neighborhood would gather up bunches of lilacs and march from the school to a nearby Veteran's Monument by the river for a service of remembrance.  The lilacs grew wild in abundance then, and the smell of them still reminds me of those evenings and placing my flowers around the edge of the monument at the end of the program. 

Here on Marco, Veterans place flags all along the median on Collier Blvd. It's a simple gesture, but one that makes us remember the solemness of the holiday as we go about our boating and family picnics.  A groundbreaking for a memorial in Veteran's Park was held recently.  The memorial will become the center of our collective memory of service-related loss here on the island.

If you are a Veteran or our armed services, or still serving, thank you for your service.  I'm very grateful for your sacrifice. 

Pond View, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on board, 7"x5"

sold

I'm experimenting with texture these days, and love the way the palette knife leaves bits of color below the surface, adding interest to the canvas.  There's something freeing about the way the knife will pick up and lay down colors, not always doing what I expect.  

In time, I'll gain skill with the knife.  But as I gain skill, the freshness and surprise will be lost.  It's almost impossible to gain mastery and still have the delight of surprise.  Too bad.

Tonight's the Night! QR Code, Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Do you know what this is?  You may have seen them in newspapers or magazines, even on posters, and not known exactly what they are. 

It's a QR code!  They are much like a bar code, and you can " read" it with your smart phone.  Smart phones are all the new phones, not just iphones, that can browse the web with ease. 

This one will take you to my website.  Try it--Check out my Everglades art!  Just point the phone at the image on your screen and click.  Pretty neat, huh? 

I've already got one on display in the studio, so you can reach me if I'm not there when you visit.  I'll be putting it in all my new promotional materials for a while.  There's even newer technology coming out soon, that will be even faster and easier to use.  Wow!

Try it with your smart phone when you come to Art Walk tonight!  If you need one for your website, you can get it at Kaywa or Quikqr.  They can be used for test messages, too!

TONIGHT's the night for the Artist Colony at the Esplanade ArtWalk, held the last Wednesday of every month from 5-8 p.m.  Hope you can come!

Periphyton, Anyone? Daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Periphyton, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on panel, 5"x7"

A few weeks ago on a visit to Shark Valley, one of the rangers searched out a clump of periphyton in order to show to visitors, and to explain its importance to the Everglades environment.  Periphyton looks like a clump of light-colored peat, but in reality houses a tiny community containing  a complex mix of algae, bacteria, fungus, microbes, and invertebrate animals. 

In wetland areas like the everglades periphyton attaches to subsurface detritus, plants, and rocks under the surface of the water.  It sometimes floats as a mat.  Periphyton serves as an important food source for small animal and plants.

Periphyton is an  ideal indicator of water quality since it is easy to sample and has a fast response to change in water quality.  They are also important to keeping water quality good, since they will hang on to pollutants.  Periophyton is one of the indicators researchers will watch closely to monitor the effects of Everglades restoration efforts. 

So the next time you're in the Everglades and pick up a bit of earth/peat/detritus from the water or edge, it could be a whole colony of microscopic life you're holding! 

Selfish! At the Shore daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

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At the Shore, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on panel, 5"x7"

It's easy to find articles about how we're going backwards in Everglades protection and our environment in Tallahassee right now.  There's Fred Grimm in the Miami Herald, Craig Pittman in the St Petersburg Times, an article in the News-Press, and plenty more more articles about us going backwards in environmental thought if you care to take a look

Don't our Governor and legislators know that the Everglades are needed to ensure fresh water and healthy waterways into the future and that our economy is dependent on people visiting our unique environment right now?    Don't they know that by refusing to balance out our needs with the needs of the earth our country is falling behind both in thinking and technology?

Why can't our species, smart as we are, find ways to protect the environment that nurtures all of us, and to find ways to share our space with other species who may contribute in ways we're only begining to understand. 

Oops, Art Walk is not until May 25th! 

Sorry about my date scheduling error! 



Evolution of a painting, Bouquet daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Bouquet, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on panel, 5"x7"

Evolution of today's painting

Organizing your day, Near the Water daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Near the Water, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on board, 5"x7", Sold

It's frustrating when things take twice as long as they should, especially when you have scheduled only half the time.  Here's how I try to keep up with all that has to be done

A friend gave me a set of three note pads, titled Today, Soon, and Someday.  Thinking of my day in these terms has really helped me to put what I need to get done in proper perspective.  Priority is Today, of course.  Living in the now.  I'm a painter, so I try to spend no more than two hours a day at my desk, then I'm off to the studio, either at home or at the Esplanade.

What must be done, or can I do Today, at my desk, that will promote my artistic goals and maintain my client relationships?  In those two hours I can get a blog post or two ready to go, write thank you notes, read an educational blog, answer important emails, update my inventory list, or update my website.

Anything I have to do that can't get done my time frame goes on my Soon list.  If I have time,  I can watch a video or podcast, work on my quarterly newsletter, or write a press release for the Artist Colony.  By keeping the Soon list, if I have extra time Today, there's already a list for me to work from.   Anything that stays on the soon list for too long will move to Today, on a Monday morning when I'll spend extra time if necessary to catch up.  Business bookkeeping often goes from the Today list to the Soon list and back again.

The Someday pad reminds me that there's always something to work on.  Someday isn't my dream list, but a list of things i want to accomplish when there's extra time.  It might be researching a new technique or piece of studio equipment, developing the format for a new class, or redoing my website or blog design.  Things stay on the Someday list until they are no longer important to me or I have done them Today!

How do you organize your day?

Apple Snail daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Apple Snail, 2011, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on cradled panel, 5"x5"

The apple snail is the main source of food for the endangered Snail Kite.  The kites have a sharp beak adapted for eaily removing the snails from their shels. 

The snails live in and on the water most of the year.  They prefer wetland grasses that they can climb rather than lily pond vegetation, and climp up onto sawgrass and low hanging branches in April and May to lay their eggs in large white clusters.  

The largest of the Florida snails, not much more is known about the life cycle of Apple Snails except that they are considered a bellweather species for Everglades restoration.  They don't do well if the water is too low, but if they are thriving, there's enough water but not too much, the water is clean enough, the birds are fed, and the natural cycles of the Everglades are healthy.  

Kite Runner Flying High, Snail Kite, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Snail Kite, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on cradled panel, 5"x5"

sold

It was wonderful to see not one, but two Snail Kites flying low over the open prairie on a recent visit to the Everglades.  The small, dark blue-grey hawks with red talons flashed patches of white as they flew searching for apple snails.

The snail kite was so endangered in the mid-sixties that it was estimated that only 100 pair remained in Florida.  Now, in recovery as a species, there are over 3500.  Still, rare enough to delight when seen.   

The Apple snail, practically the only source of food for snail kites, is a brownish colored snail that lives both on land and water.  It’s the largest North American snail, and is also struggling for survival as a species.  It is hoped that as Everglades restoration continues, both the snails and the kites will flourish. 

Time for a Walk, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on board, 5"x7"

 

It's much quieter here on Marco Island now that the many January to Easter snowbirds have left.  The October to May group will leave around the first of June. 

 

Now that it's a little quieter, I'll have time for a walk.  I'll also have time to review, time to learn, time to read, time to love, and time to grow as an artist and person. 

 

I'm very grateful for a little extra time.  How about you?  What would you do if you could find a little more time? 

Preservation and Restoration, Dancing in the Sky painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Dancing in the Sky, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on canvas, 12x16

As an artist the Everglades landscape continues to interest me.  I've come to know much of it, especially the areas closest to Marco Island, the Ten Thousand Islands, the Fakahatchee, and the Big Cypress. The light on the prairies, the marching palms and the dancing clouds have become dear to me. 

I worry about the threats to Everglades survival, and wonder if we're doing enough to save it.  It's a unique wetland, and the only one of its kind in the world.  In the last century, natural resources were exploited for their usefulness to humans.  As we mature as a species, we are beginning to recognize that there are limits to our resources, and that for our own health and survival we must preserve and protect  our worlds natural systems. 

As we begin to undo a hundred years of damage from forced controls of water flows, the world watches to see just how far we will go and how much we will spend to protect and preserve both our environment and our economy, and  is looking to see how we resolve the balance of needs.

There's been an ongoing legislative dance between stakeholders, public perception, and funds available for restoration. It's a dance for control, regulation, funding, and needs.  The line between restricting regulation and restoration regulation is still being defined. 

Florida is once again at a crossroads.  Please make sure that your legislators know where you stand.

Hints of Pink, Daily Painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Hints of Pink, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on board, 5"x 7"

I love the way nature interweaves light and color, texture and movement with the structure of a landscape.  The nature of the Everglades is almost always my theme, and it is the light and color of the amorphous order of their nature that concern me.  Being exact doesn't interest me, but more paring down the forms into their moods and recording their luminosity.

Prince of a Day, painting by Everglades painter Jo-Ann Sanborn

Prince of a Day, Jo-Ann Sanborn, 2011

acrylic on canvas, 48x24

Today's painting, Prince of a Day, is named on honor of the British Royal Wedding, taking place as I'm writing this morning.  This painting will be placed in the lobby of the Prince Condominium on Marco Island.  The treasured Everglades landscape certainly deserves a royal salute as well. 

Many thanks to the committee and decorator.  We share a love of fine art, and they were delightful to work with.  Hopefully today's painting will bring them much satisfaction.