Wrap Up of My Vero Beach Residency

Notes From My Residency Journal

My last two days at Vero were great fun. I went back to the Pelican Island Reserve in better weather to take a few reference photos and wander down one of the trails a bit. There were lovely grasses in a variety of colors, turning rusts and grays for winter, and the cabbage palm hammocks looked so pretty. 

I enjoyed the condo so much. It is beautifully decorated and very comfortable. The Lemon Tree restaurant was a great place to eat and they made me feel right at home each morning. 

I saw a lot of trees that I was not familiar with and I will enjoy painting them from my reference photos. 

The town was really charming, with friendly welcoming residents. I headed home with fond memories of my residence and with thanks to Judy and Jim for their generosity.

Pelican Island Wildlife Reserve

Fair Oaks Residency February 9-16

Notes From My Residency Journal

The Barn

At last, paradise for a whole week.  I'm sitting at the picnic bench in the yard, next to the old barn. I have had two spectacular days of painting. This is the climate that we Floridians suffer through long hot summers to receive as a reward. It was cool enough for a sweater and the light was spectacular all day. I will take some photos of my paintings to post for you. I have had good production so far with two paintings a day. 

My habit at this residency is to do one painting in the morning and one in the afternoon. I take a break for an hour mid day to wait for the afternoon light. Four-six PM is the magic time here and that gets later as the spring arrives. As long as the weather holds, I'll be painting outside. If it changes I'll be up in the studio working on my new big wave painting.

It sure is nice to have Buddy and Shane with me each day. I leave Henry at home. He is not an outdoor dog and I am here to work. I worry that he might get lost. 

I've been listening to and watching the cranes prepare for migration. They have been circling up all day. I love their calls. I saw 4 Kites today and the Kingfishers were diving for fish at the little pond
late yesterday.

When I arrive at Fair Oaks in February each year, I leave all of my stress behind me. I have no desire for anything except emersing myself in its culture and beauty.

Fair Oaks Mini Residency- October 27, 2013

Flowers on Fish Prairie

Path Between Fields

Notes From My Residency Journal

Today I came to Fair Oaks with my pal Mary Jane Volkmann. We were reconing the estate and Fish Prairie for next weekend's first Invitational Painting  Retreat. We owe it all to Fair Oaks, Paddiwhack Gallery, Gamblin Artists Paints, French Canvas, and Claudia Ballard. 

This is a special privilege for painters and I'm very excited!

We spent the morning exploring and taking reference photos. This was my first trip out on the prairie since May. It was great to be back on the trails. They were in pretty good shape. There were a few paths blocked by trees, but most were easy to navigate. The prairie was full of beautiful yellow flowers, blooming everywhere. 

We had a fabulous lunch of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and corn. Super good, topped off with famous Fair Oaks iced tea. Thank you Mark, our chef for the day.

The weather was perfect and the company too. 

Another delightful day at my favorite place in the world.

Big Talbot Island Residency- Day 3

Marsh Palms

9x12 inches

Oil on panel

www.lindablondheim.com

Notes From My Residency Project

Welcome to the first cool day of Fall this year! I woke to cool breezy overcast weather. I'm so happy to have a cool day.

 I went in search of breakfast in Amelia Island. I stopped at a place called Parkway Grill. It is really more of a bakery/deli. You go up to the counter to order. It is self serve for utensils and coffee. You put a number on your table and someone brings your food. The room is on hard floors with small diner style tables. No atmosphere at all, but it is clean and well organized. They brought thick sliced bakery bread, which was a nice texture. The bacon was over cooked but I don't mind that. The eggs were cooked right but the hash browns were not crispy. The best thing was the coffee which was quite good. They did not make it clear whether refills were allowed. The server did not return to the table after delivering the meal. I would rate it as adequate. I am the first to admit to being a foodie. I love breakfast the best, so I'm always in search for a really good breakfast restaurant. I am happy to brag that Gainesville has some outstanding breakfast restaurants. I will search out a new place tomorrow.

After breakfast I headed back toward Big Talbot for a bit of exploring.  There is a new bridge between the islands. They saved the old bridge as a pedestrian only bridge. I love to see this. It is so nice to save old bridges for hikers and fishermen.  I wish they would do that everywhere.

I stopped at the state park on the marsh side first, for some photos, then headed to seaside to see the dead tree beach. What an interesting park. Bonnie took me there for a quick look see on Monday. Today I had time to get some photos. The tide was high so I didn't go down on the beach. I climbed up on top of the platform bench to get some good photos of the trunks on the beach. The real appeal for me were the huge twisted trees growing in the park. They were quite splendid. 

Since it is dark and overcast today, I headed to the house to set up and paint on the porch.

Another day in paradise thanks to North Florida Land Trust. Bless them for supporting my project.

Day 2- Big Talbot Island

Marshes from the Dock

18x24 inches

Oil on Canvas

http://www.lindablondheim.com

Notes From My Residency Journal

My plans changed today. It was raining when I woke up and we were in for a day of it, so I decided to stay in to paint from one of the photos I took yesterday. I set my easel up on the screened porch and got to work. My companion for the day was Roxie, the sweet little Pappion dog who runs the household. She is so sweet and well behaved and as cute as can be. It's so nice to have a dog here. I miss Henry, my French bulldog, and my canine friends Buddy and Shane at Fair Oaks when I'm traveling.

The director of North Florida Land Trust, my friend Bonnie, is amazing. She is the absolute queen of shopping. She furnished the entire house with thrift shops and Craigslist. It looks like a high end home. I wan't to be her apprentice. 

This place is truly wonderful. When I sit on the back deck I watch the birds fly over the marshes and marvel at the tall palms.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, I'll be off to explore the island.