Mini Residency at Fair Oaks- October 5, 2014

Landscape Painting

Landscape Art

East Hay Field

Notes From My residency Journal

Today was the kind of day we Floridians wait 5 months for. It was cool, with low humidity and beautiful. A day that makes all of the heat and bugs worth enduring for five months.  The fields are beautiful and lush with flowers blooming. I gathered several of the lovely purple ones to press and dry in two weeks. I'll be making note cards with them. 

I restored the old fairie house and put it back on the picnic bench. It looks sweet and colorful. It should last about a year.  I first painted an 8x10 in Holy Ground Field. It was so pleasant in the shade, cool and beautiful!

I had time before lunch to do a second painting of the big pond, beginning to show fall color in one area. What a glorious view! As I cleaned up and headed for the studio to pick up paintings, our friend Kate Barnes arrived for lunch. We enjoyed her many stories. She has been everywhere and done many interesting things in her long career as writer, painter, politician and world traveler. 

We enjoyed grilled sandwiches, potato salad and yellow squash for lunch, and a rice pudding brought by Kate to share. It was all delicious. I couldn't resist the urge to start a third painting for the day after lunch. I'll finish it one day in my studio. 

I headed for home about 4 PM after another day in paradise!

Bird Island Day 4

Marshes at Bird Island

9x12 inches

Oil on panel

Sunset

8x10 inches

Oil on panel

The boardwalk beside the marshes

Horseshoe crab

View from the dock

Notes From My Residency Journal

Today's weather is too rough to be out. The wind is howling and the sea is up with lots of foam and broken waves. I've not seen a single boat. It is quite cozy in the house and I'm enjoying reading a Travis McGee adventure. This morning wasn't bad on the porch so I was able to finish 2 paintings, the first started yesterday. I have 6 paintings and expect to get at least one more tomorrow. 

You haven't lived until you have tried tuna salad on Lays potato chips instead of bread. It is really delicious! I have had that for lunch every day this week. Just scoop up the tuna with a spoon and carefully put it on a big chip like an appetizer. 

Last evening I had a great walk over the marshes in the boardwalk. It is a lovely view late in the day with everything warm and rich in color. I found a Horseshoe crab shell and saw tiny little crabs scuttling along the path. I watched a pair of Dolphins feeding, scattering Mullet as they swam along.

This is a foreign world for me. I am a landlubber having lived all of my life in forests and fields. My visits to the coast are always educational. I know nothing about boats or the sea. I am always amazed by the startling changes in the weather when I visit the coasts and Bird Island. It can change in just a few moments. 

With good luck this storm will be gone tomorrow, giving me another day in Bird Island paradise!

Mini Residency at Fair Oaks February 23, 2014

The new golf cart

The bell arrives

Unloading the new bell and golf cart

Today was a momentous occasion at Fair Oaks. The big church bell arrived along with the new golf cart. This cart is a two seater. I won't go near it. I don't want to get paint on it. I will continue to use the one I fixed up during my stay there last week. 

The weather was dreary and I was exhausted from moving my studio this week to a new space, so I hung around the studio and did not paint. The bell arrived that we have been waiting for. It is quite old and was once installed in one of the Evinston churches. It is a lovely huge bell and a tower will be built to house it. For now it will be housed in the old smoke house while the tower is built. It has a wonderful deep sound and I got to ring it. 

 Lunch was really good, burgers, vegetables and Italian sausage in buns like really tasty hot dogs. 

I wondered if any of my mentoring students would come to paint in the terrible weather. Three did. One left but the other two stayed. We went upstairs to the cozy studio and they enjoyed it. It was my pleasure and privilege to spend the afternoon with them. 

After my students left, I got to take another look at the big bell. I headed home to my studio after another day in Paradise. 

Next Sunday I leave for Wekiva State Park for a week of painting with hopes for good weather and good sales. There is no wifi in the park so I'll write about the adventure when I return.