Six Artists Six Prairies: January 2012

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Hopkins Prairie Revisted

16 x 20

Getting ready for the big show at Prairie Creek Ranch on February 25. Here's a new one which was finished a couple of weeks ago. I have to say that I keep coming back to Hopkins Prairie source material from earlier this year when I think about doing something for this project. It is really neat place. (I write that and think . . 'it was just a prairie'. . . It's hard to explain but it was much more than that). This is from a photo I took while hiking on the Florida trail. Part of the trail goes right through Hopkins Prairie. This oak hammock is the home of a designated campground. My son, who is a senior at the University of Florida, saw my posts on Hopkins Prairie and was excited to tell me that he had camped at Hopkins Prairie with some friends. They had just picked the place at random on a map of the Ocala National Forest. He thought it was neat place to camp and wants to do a family camping trip. It's been a while since we've had one of those. I'm thinking about it. Anyone else interested?

Thanks for Looking. And make plans to attend the show at Prairie Creek Ranch.

Steve Andrews

Monday, January 16, 2012

Alachua Conservation Trust Hosts Six Artists Six Prairies

Prairie Creek Lodge

Our paintings will be on display at Prairie Creek Lodge from February 18- March 16, 2012.

Our main event will be February 25, 2012 from Noon-9PM. We will be painting in front of the lodge from noon to dark, rotating artists throughout the day.

Come meet the artists, watch us paint and purchase original framed paintings while enjoying hors d'ouvres and live music. Our painting sales will support the efforts of Alachua Conservation Trust and their many educational and land acquisition projects.

This will be our last formal event for the project, so we are looking forward to seeing our many friends. If you miss the party on February 25, you will have several weeks to browse the paintings and make your selections. You will also have the opportunity to purchase a painting for the permanent collection for Prairie Creek Lodge through their purchase award program. A plaque will be placed next to the donor's painting.

Linda Blondheim

Friday, January 13, 2012

The Difference a Season Makes

11 x 14

This is a painting from a visit to Tuscawilla Prairie about a month ago. Charles, Linda, Mary Jane and I painted on the rim of the prairie on a great day. In the painting I was focusing on the dried reddish brown foliage against the darker olive green across the prairie and the line of bright light on the far side. I like the way it came out. The red in the painting looks redder than in the photos posted below, but I would say that of the two images, the painting is closer to the actual color at the prairie that day.

The visit to the prairie was amazing in the comparison of the colors over just a few months. When I visited Tuscawilla during the late summer the green was so high that standing down at the base of the prairie you could barely see across to the other side. On the return visit all of the green had fallen and turned into a deep brownish red. The photos below vividly document the difference. We don't really think about leaves changing colors in Florida, but just looking at the photos you can see what a difference a season makes.

Thanks for looking.

Steve Andrews

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

OutdoorPainter.com | 6 Artists Paint 6 Florida Prairies | Home of Plein Air Magazine

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Dawn

"Dawn"
Early morning on Paynes Prairie...a nice place to be with a hot cup of coffee!

Scott Hiestand

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Photos from the end of the day at Tuscawilla Prairie

The end of the rainbow, no pot of gold, but a tube of cadmium yellow deep

awaits the adventurer!

Monday, January 2, 2012

Autumn Dance

It was such a colorful autumn in northern Florida this year. Was it a combination of dry weather and a seemingly slower changing of the seasons? I just finished this painting of Paynes Prairie. I was attracted to the scene because of the colors and design everywhere I looked. As I observed I had the feeling that autumn was dancing in the landscape.

Over the next couple of weeks I hope to put the finishing touches on several prairie paintings I have in various stages towards completion. I'll post them as they find their resting points.

Mark your calendars because our big event at Prairie Creek Lodge is drawing near! On February 25 the Six Artists Six Prairies Project will combine forces with the Alachua Conservation Trust, showing and selling the prairie paintings we have done in an effort to support conservation and artists. More details will be forthcoming in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Happy New Year to everyone! May this be a special year for each of you!

Mary Jane Volkmann

Our Mission

We are professional artists working together to preserve in paint the beauty and importance of Florida’s prairies. Providing a home to a vast array of native plants and animals, whether resident or seasonal, the unique ecology and vistas of prairies have long been an important part of our culture in this county. Reflected in folklore, literature, music and scientific journals, prairies have stirred our sense of wonder and honed our sense of observation. Finding access to them is not always easy and this access is becoming increasingly limited through development. For twelve months we will be watching and painting six different prairies, observing their dynamic seasonal changes, exploring and discovering their exciting secrets and creating a unique historical record in the process. Working with like- minded organizations, we hope to add our share to the efforts they are undertaking to preserve these unique prairies for future generations.

The Artists

Steve Andrews
Tallahassee Florida

Artist Statement

I am excited to be involved in this project. I was born and raised in Florida and I love to paint the Florida landscape. Unfortunately, at times, that landscape seems to be vanishing before my eyes. It is great to be able to contribute to conservation efforts while at the same time getting to do what I love to do -- paint. When most people think of Florida landscapes they think of beaches and water, but the interior of this state is also amazing. I look forward to trying to show you my view of this part of the state. Thanks for taking the time to check out our paintings of these beautiful and little known Florida prairies and for supporting efforts to protect them.

Linda Blondheim
Gainesville, FL

Artist Statement

I have painted Paynes Prairie for thirty years and Fish Prairie many times. We Americans have a kinship and history with western prairies.There is a nostalgia about them. I want to make Florida residents and visitors aware of the treasures they have here in north Florida. This project is a way to combine my love for the Florida landscape with my desire to preserve the wild places in Florida for future generations.

My prairie paintings are available for sale on this link. Just click on the images:

Linda Blondheim Paintings

Charles Dickinson

St Augustine, FL

Artist Statement

The Florida prairies hold the natural beauty and timeless qualities that are the foundation of powerful landscape painting. Their skies, their flora and fauna, their compositional and atmospheric possibilities make for a beautiful painting experience that I am excited to share with the public and work to preserve.

Scott Hiestand
Ormond Beach, FL

Artist Statement

Florida Prairies--these are not the prairies reminiscent of Conestoga wagons slowly rolling over short grasses while pheasants scatter in all directions. Rather, these are Florida prairies, where Sand Hill Cranes and other wildlife walk among small wetlands, palms, and prairie stands. I look for atmosphere in my landscape subjects--low light or a soft mist of fog rising over a stump filled pond. It is this type of image I hope to bring to you in my acrylic paintings. The next 18 months of my life painting these prairies will be challenging and exciting. I look forward to painting with the other five artists in our group who are the cream of the crop and masters of their craft.

Mary Jane Volkmann

Gainesville, FL

Artist Statement

I have a nearby refuge from the sights and sounds of the city: Paynes Prairie. I enjoy its vistas and the beauty of its many moods. I go there to listen to the birds and critters, to smell the dust and plants, to watch the changing colors of the seasons and even sometimes to watch meteors. As an artist, painting the prairies of north Florida is a way I can share with others the peace, joy and curiosity I experience in them. It is my humble way to add my voice to the call to preserve these special places and their contents for future generations ~ not only of humanity, but also of the birds, critters and animals who take their own refuge in prairies.

Help Us With Your Donation or Sponsorship

This project is a marriage of art and conservation. As stewards of nature we will host several public events combining conservation education and art. Obviously as artists we need to sell our paintings to survive in our profession. To cover the additional items and expenses connected with this project and to help it succeed we are soliciting support, either directly or in kind. If you would like to donate to this project directly, please use the PayPal Donate Button. The in kind contributions we are looking for range from printing, signage, stationery and postage; tables, chairs, tents, lighting, food, beverages and insurance for public events; accommodation while traveling to and residing in prairie areas as well as financial help to cover these and other expenses we would not normally carry as artists. To become a business or corporate sponsor or to help with any of the above, please contact our acting treasurer, Linda, at lindasasp@gmail.com