New Smyrna Beach Residency - day 4

Black Point Road

8x10 inches

Oil on canvas

Notes From My Residency Journal 

On Thursday I headed out to Bllackpoint Road in the. Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge to look around and take some reference photos. I was on the hunt for birds. I found  a flock of Mallards and then a group of a few Egrets, Herons, and about five Spoonbills. It was raining again, so I spent most of my time in the car. 

Rain and bad weather were predicted for Friday and Saturday so I decided to head back to my cozy studio in Gainesville early this morning. It was a wise choice. I just couldn't catch a break this week. Bad weather hampered my work every day.  I did manage three paintings. I will look forward to great weather next year. 

I ate at my regular favorite breakfast places each morning, no new ones this year. I ate at home for lunch and dinner, so I had a nice low key trip this year. My sincere thanks to Louann Hall for her loyal and generous support. 

If you would like to lend your vacation home or condo to me for a week, please let me know.

Observation

I'm still pondering the aspects of nature we studied during our recent residency.  As we had no production deadlines we were relaxed and able to spend as long as we wanted exploring different aspects of the world around us, noting how they appear from every angle and in differing light.  One of my passions is painting water.  I never cease to be amazed at how many colors one sees on (and in) the water depending on the weather, the angle of the sun, the wind and the color of the sky.  This photo is a perfect example, and something I might include in teaching observation in my painting classes.  From one angle the water appeared an inky black with reflections of tea near the rim.  From this perspective it was most inviting (except for the snakes and gators, of course) and so much deeper than the sky!  As we  wound around the channel we could get a glimpse of how much water was around us and how the color kept changing. It was interesting to watch as the wind would approach and suddenly, one by one, the color of each of the patches of water we could see would change.  Note the color of the water in the distance.  A minute before I took this photo, the water in the distance was almost colorless.  The wind picked up and it completely changed.  We see this so often when we are painting on location, but I am usually working so quickly before the light changes that I don't always take the time to really study what I am seeing and watch the many colors of its changing. 

As I put the final touches on my prairies paintings for the Six Artists Six Prairies event on February 25, I am planning my paintings from our Merritt Island residency.  Thank you so much to our gracious hosts for giving us this priceless opportunity to further develop our artistic awareness.

Mary Jane Volkmann

My First Red Cedar

Tree Paintings

This painting is almost finished. One more session should do it. It is the first Red Cedar I have painted and it was a challenge I loved. We saw many of these trees in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The grow along the edge of canals and estuaries and on the road edges. Many of them look like they have been trimmed, but perhaps the wind blows the limbs off. You can see the limbs and trunks clearly on them which adds to their beauty. I love the rich green against the white limbs and trunks. The shadows fall blue and purple over the limbs making a lovely palette. The trees stand out beautifully against the fall and winter colors in the marsh. I imagine they are not nearly as noticeable in the summer when everything is green.

Linda Blondheim