Wrap Up of the Canaveral Seashore Paint Out

My wall of paintings at the Canaveral Paint Out

Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge

18x24

Landscape Paintings

Notes From My residency Journal

Happily, the visitor's center at Canaveral National Seashore was packed with patrons tonight. Lots of paintings were sold and I sold two for the week. Thanks to my two collectors who supported me with their purchases. I am very grateful for their support.

The food was lavish. So many tasty tidbits I lost track of them all. A few I remember were clam balls, paella, BBQ chicken and pulled pork sliders, meatballs, chicken wings, sausage and sour kraut, chicken wraps, subs,rare tuna, eggplant, and array of desserts I never got to. There was wine and soft drinks as well. It was a packed house and I'm so happy for the artists who sold well and for the committee. All of their hard work payed off in the end.

It has been an exceptionally nice event and a challenge that everyone met with gusto. Thanks to all of the businesses and sponsors who helped to make it possible. I am grateful to everyone, especially Pat,Dick,Nancy and their crew. I love New Smyrna Beach. It is a unique community. Thanks to my sponsors Donna and Mike for giving me their lovely condo for 8 days.

I'll soon be back at beloved Fair Oaks. I have missed it this month as I've been traveling.

More to come...

Canaveral Seashore Paint Out Day 8

Notes From My Residency Journal

Today is the day!! It is raining and overcast with biiigggg waves. The sea is hitting the seawall at high tide so there is not much beach to see. This morning I started out at C's Beach Diner for a breakfast of ham, eggs, hash browns and sliced tomatoes. Delicious!! it was nice to be remembered from the day before and I got wonderful service. I'll have one more breakfast there tomorrow before I head for home.

I arrived at the Canaveral Seashore Visitor's Center greeted by the chaos of hanging a show. Artists were coming in and out. Committee members were moving ladders and helping the artists. I'm sure by 4:30 for the pre-patron party, all will be calm and beautiful. I managed to get all of my work on the wall and I am ready.

I'm back at the condo watching the rain, cozy for the moment out of the wind. I must send kudos to all of the artists and the committee for this paint out. We have been through a thoroughly challenging event without whining or complaint, so I am proud to be a part of this effort. Please support this beautiful park by coming tonight to the Gala. If you cannot attend, you can purchase the art via email or phone calls to Pat Skirtic at 386.235.4810 She will be glad to send you photos of the art through email and take your purchase on the phone. You may also send a check for purchasing.

View from My Condo

Red Cedar at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

18x24

Landscape Paintings

I'll have a wrap up report for you tomorrow and thanks so much for following along on this really exciting Paint Out.

Canaveral Seashore Paint Out Day 7

Notes From My Residency Journal
Last night was the Sunset Paint Out at JB's Fish Camp. I always enjoy that so much. The wind was bad, so I set up my box on top of a big trash can and went to work. People stroll up and down the dock to watch us paint, so it is a bit like a carnival. They give us a big discount on our dinner, so that is nice too. I had a fried shrimp dinner with hush puppies fries and slaw. Yummy!.

No photos today because the wind is too strong to hold the camera. WOW!! We are being hammered by tropical storm Sandy. Yesterday was tough because I had to do a demo on the beach. Today is completely wild. There is no way I could work on the beach today.

I started out this morning with breakfast at C's Beachside Diner. It just opened and happily, it is right across A1A from my condo. It has everything from an extensive breakfast menu to soup,salad,burgers,and meatloaf. The interior is quite nice, though it could use a couple of my paintings on the wall. ;-) It has a clean contemporary decor with neutrals and dark tables and chairs. I liked it. Each table has a vase filled with coffee beans and nice colorful flowers, a nice touch. There is also outdoor seating on the patio, though no one in their right mind would do that today. My server, Melissa was friendly and very efficient. She was knowledgeable about the menu too, well trained. The coffee was fresh and good. The food was ample and hot. She was willing to make a substitution of sliced tomatoes instead of toast for me. I enjoyed crisp good hash browns with eggs and corned beef hash. I met the owner who was very friendly and nice. A nice bonus to have him come out to greet me. They only issue I found was the selection of music.It was a bit young and rock and roll for a restaurant in a community with so many senior citizens. I think a smooth jazz station would have been a better choice.  The restaurant gets an A+ from me. It is located at 4166 S Atlantic Avenue and the phone number is 386.663.3915

I headed on over to the Eldora House and set up my paint box, doing an 11x14 painting with palette knife this time, on the back porch. it was quite windy so I made a headband out of two tiny bungee cords to keep the hair out of my face. I actually enjoyed it. I have one last canvas to do a nocturnal of the swimming pool tonight.

They are moving the event to the new visitor's center today, so I had to pick up all of my paintings. I'm waiting to find out when I should deliver them. I do hope people will make the effort to come out and support us, even in this weather. We have worked in terrible conditions for the last two days and the committee has had so much to deal with.  I am hoping for the best. Painting in a tropical storm is a new experience and one I won't soon forget. It is all very exciting. More to come.......

Bagworms in Red Cedar Trees

One of my readers asked me about Bagworms in Red Cedar Trees. I'm passing this along for anyone interested. It came from E How.

Identification

• Bagworms are the larvae of the bagworm moth (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis). These insects feast on foliage and spin silken sacks covered with the scales of the cedar. This provides the bagworm effective camouflage from predators. The moth's eggs overwinter in a silk bag produced by the female. The bag also contains the body of the dead mother.

Life Cycles

• The eggs hatch in April or May and the larvae immediately begin feeding and producing their bags, which eventually reach a length of more than 1 inch and hang from stems or twigs on the tree. The female bagworm begins transforming into an adult in August with males emerging later that month or September. The males fly from bag to bag searching for wingless females that remain inside their protective covers.
• 
  

Description

• Adult males possess a black, hairy body and a wingspan of approximately 1 inch, while the females are similar in appearance to maggots. They are yellowish-white in color with no wings or legs and only a small circle of hairs at the end of the abdomen. The bagworm larvae claim a brown abdomen and a white head with spots and eventually grow to 1 inch in length. The female bagworm lays several hundred white eggs and produces one generation annually.

Management

• Bagworm larvae are capable of completely defoliating trees, a dilemma that has the potential to kill the cedar. As the silken bags are easy to spot hanging from the tree, the simplest bagworm eradication method is to inspect the cedar in winter, remove the bags by hand and destroy the eggs inside. Conduct chemical control through spraying in June when all the larvae have emerged from their bags. Spraying before that is ineffective as the bagworms are too well protected inside their silken homes.

Canaveral Seashore Paint Out Day 6

Waves on Flagler Avenue

11x14 inches

Landscape Paintings

My Sky Painting Educational Board

Notes From My Residency Journal

Today has been a true adventure so far. I started with breakfast at the Beacon, where someone opened the door when a bird decided to fly into the restaurant. The poor thing knocked himself out trying to go through a window. The wait staff scooped him up and placed him in the flower bed beside the restaurant. Luckily, he woke up after a few minutes and went on his way, I'm sure with a nasty headache. I'm so glad he recovered. Sometimes when we get away from people who think like we do, we get a little shock. There were two women in the table next to me who made fun of the whole thing, wondering why anyone would care about a bird? I pity them. All creatures deserve a good life and respect in my opinion.

After breakfast, I headed on over to the Flagler Avenue beach front pavilion. Last year when I painted there, the weather was beautiful and it was a wonderful place to paint. I chose it for that reason to do my demonstration for the paint out. How would I know we are now in the path of a tropical storm? I think I should win the prize for the most difficult demo this week!! The wind was at least 35 MPH with gusts as well. Sand and salt sprayed me to the point that I had to stop to clean my glasses to see. It was exhilarating ! About 20 brave souls showed up to watch and most of them stayed with me through the entirety, which I was grateful for. The sky was not pretty at all, so I made up most of the clouds as I went along. I think most everyone enjoyed it despite the extreme conditions. After all, location painters have to work in adverse conditions, so they may as well get a taste of that. They asked lots of good questions and took notes. it was all good fun for me.

I still have three canvases left, so I will do one tonight at BJ's for the sunset painting and two tomorrow at the park if it is not pouring rain. I am beginning to battle with fatigue at this point in the event. I fear our opening may be ruined by the bad weather, but I hope people will turn out and purchase paintings. The artists and committee have worked so very hard to help the Canaveral National Seashore. I hate to think it would be for naught. Yay for fresh BJ's seafood tonight!!

More to come.....

Canaveral Seashore Paint Out Day 5

Weinaug Mangroves

Landscape Paintings

Mary Sue

Bill

River from the Weinaug's Dock

Patio Party Location

Notes From My Artist Residency Journal

Yesterday I was hosted for the afternoon by Bill and Mary Sue Weinaug, old friends. They own Wekiva Island in Apopka, FL and are the major sponsors for the Wekiva Paint Out. I painted the afternoon away on their covered dock. I was very excited to have two Manatee visitors, close enough for me to touch, but they quickly moved away before I could get a photo of them. Bill leaves a hose running for them to get a drink, as the river is brackish water.

 The scenery from their dock is very beautiful. It has a second story platform for viewing too. The house is incredible, full of art from their collection. I was proud to see one of my large paintings over the bed in one of the rooms. By the time I finished painting, it was too late to leave and come back for the party, so I enjoyed sitting on the patio, watching the birds and fish jump out of the river.

The party started at 6:30 and it was posh indeed. There was live music on the patio with lots of beautiful lights. The catering staff strolled around with shrimp cocktail shots, clams casino, and bacon wrapped sea scallops, an endless supply. The buffet offered an array of fresh fruits and cheeses, melt in your mouth prime rib chunks with wild rice, and jumbo shrimp in a sauce, along with a mixed green salad. Dessert was tiered on turntables, tiny delicious and beautifully decorated petitfors. ( I don't know how to spell that.)

Of course there was a full bar and bartender. This was a gesture of kindness from the Weinaugs, to give the artists and their friends a lovely evening after long days or work. There were about a hundred people there and I saw many old friends from New Smyrna Beach. I've never enjoyed an event party more and the Weinaugs have set the pleasure bar very high indeed. 

This morning I set out after breakfast at the Beacon for Flagler Avenue to paint. There is an abandoned building there that faces a lovely scene of palms. I've always wanted to paint it, so I decided today was the day. I enjoyed painting it but the sun was fierce and there was no shade to be had. The glare was so bad that I'm surprised that I got anything painted at all, but I kept at it until I finished. This afternoon, I will paint a wave painting.

Tonight we are off to the Arts on Douglas reception with Chef Sue's lovely catering, so I know I will enjoy seeing lots of people there. More to come.....

Canaveral Seashore Paint Out Day 4

                                                     Beach at Canaveral National Seashore

Stop Sign

8x10 inches

Mangroves at JB's Fish Camp

8x10 inches

Notes From My Residency Journal

This morning after breakfast at the Beacon I headed out to JB's Fish Camp. it is a wonderful place, rustic and busy with fishermen and boats coming and going in the early morning. It serves lunch and dinner and the seafood is superb and reasonably priced. It is always packed. On Thursday, we get to go there for a sunset paint out and an auction of paintings. They feed us dinner on Thursday night after we paint. They have outdoor and indoor seating, all picnic benches. It is a fish camp, so no luxuries but great food. I enjoyed painting by myself there today, listening to the birds and painting leisurely. I will go back there to paint in January for my next residency.

I want to brag about the park rangers at Canaveral Seashore. These are the nicest people, thoughtful, well informed about the park and its history and who work very hard. They always have a smile or a hug for the artists and frankly, I get away with going to places that are off limits to the public. They are very good to us.

I am also a huge fan of Chef Sue. if you live in the Daytona or New Smyrna Beach area, you are very familiar with Chef Sue. She is an amazing chef and caterer. Her food is a cut above most chefs I have met. She always remembers me and is always thoughtful and kind to the artists.

I have 6 canvases left, so now I must begin to think about what I wish to use them for. I would like to do a nocturnal, and Friday is the only night we don't have an event so I will save my last canvas for that. I might want to do it at JB's or down the end of my driveway here. There is a beach light there and it would be quiet.

Tonight we have been invited to Bill and Mary Sue Weinaug's river front home in Edgewater. Mary Sue and Bill are amazing. They own Wekiva Island in Apopka and are the major sponsors for the Wekiva Paint Out in March. They are so generous and support so many artists. i am so grateful to them for all of the paintings they have purchased from me. I am excited to see this house. their other home is really beautiful. This one has a dock on the river and I am going over after lunch to do a painting there before the party tonight.

I am the luckiest woman in the world, because I know and am supported by so many people who believe in preserving Florida and in supporting the arts. The committee for the paint out has done everything to make this successful and spend countless hours to make this successful.

More to come....