This Week's Mini Residency-Tuscawilla Prairie

 Mary Jane Works Fast

Linda in the Shade

Today Mary Jane and I adventured to Tuscawilla Prairie, about 15 miles from Gainesville. This is a magical place to paint in the fall and winter. We are lucky to be involved with Alachua Conservation Trust who owns vast acreage on this prairie and a wonderful log cabin on the prairie rim. We have been watching it through the brutal summer months, patiently waiting for the right season to paint. At last it is cool enough. The color is spectacular and luscious. Full of patterns of smoky blue, ochre, chocolate brown, wheat, rust and mauve purple.

We took an early drive through the prairie on narrow paths that have been mowed. Up close and personal, it is truly amazing. Here are a couple of example photos. I can't wait to use these to do some paintings.

We try to have a mini residency on Tuesdays with time permitting. Sometimes we paint with friends and other times alone.  The mini residencies help us to gather reference materials in between our longer out of area residencies.

Fair Oaks Cypress

A "Mini" Residency

Today, Mary Jane and I headed for my favorite place, Fair Oaks, to check out the fall glory. The cypress trees are turning a dark orange and rust now and other hardwoods are turning a rainbow of fall colors. From now through March, Florida offers it's most beautiful climate and that is why we suffer through the brutal summers as full time residents. It is worth the wait. We spent our morning exploring the fields and taking photos. We stopped for lunch at Pearl Country Store in Micanopy for some excellent BBQ chicken, collard greens and beans. Then we were back to Fair Oaks to do a study of the dry pond area. It was a splendid adventure and we ended it by cruising along looking at Tuscawilla Prairie on our way back to the city. Our week long residency at Fair Oaks will be the last week in February, so the color will be winter gray,wheat, blue and purple by then.