Six Artists Six Prairies: fish prairie

Showing posts with label fish prairie. Show all posts

Monday, April 16, 2012

Fish Prairie

Ferns on Fish Prairie April

Fish Prairie February

Fish Prairie

18x24 inches

acrylic on canvas

February

Notes From Fish Prairie

I spent a week at Fair Oaks as part of my residency project there. Part of Fish Prairie is on the Fair Oaks property and I love painting there. The staff has cut nice trails through the prairie and I spend very happy hours deep in the prairie painting. I was traveling through March, so I missed the gradual transition from winter to spring. Yesterday I drove around back there in the golf cart, thoughtfully provided by the owner for my painting excursions. It looks so different from the winter time I painted last that I thought I was lost a couple of times. It is now jungle, with tangles of vines, weeds, huge ferns and rich greens. I could have been in the rain forests of Latin America with a bit of imagination. Though our project will end in June, I hope to continue to paint at Fish Prairie for years to come.

Linda Blondheim

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Solski Trail-Fish Prairie

Solski Trail on Fish Prairie

at Fair Oaks

I'll be spending a week in February with fellow prairie painter Mary Jane Volkmann painting Fish Prairie from Fair Oaks. I love this trail and will enjoy the winter landscape instead of April when I usually spend a week there. Little is known about Fish Prairie but the trail story is here on this link about Fair Oaks and Sebastian Solski, who made the trail that I enjoy so much. Thanks Sebastian and thanks Rick Knellinger, our sponsor, who allows us to paint there for the project whenever we like.

Linda Blondheim

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Solski Trail on Fish Prairie

24x24 inches

acrylic on stretched canvas

This is a wonderful trail that skirts the rim of Fish Prairie from Fair Oaks in Evinston, FL. Fair Oaks is my very favorite place in the world. I have been painting there for about four years now. I am blessed to have free range of the 160 acres with my friend Rick's golf cart. I load up my back pack with my paint box and tripod, and in the cool season, my bulldog Henry. We check out the pastures, watching the birds and occasional deer. There is a lovely picnic table dedicated to Sebastian Solski, who worked so hard to make the trail, at the trail head. I like to stop there and paint often. This painting was done from a reference photo I took a few weeks ago on the prairie rim. Henry likes to snooze while I paint. I turn on my Pandora radio and listen to Puccini. It's heaven!!

Linda Blondheim

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Recon at Fish Prairie

Notes From Fish Prairie

Today I visited Fish Prairie via the Sebastian Solski Trail at Fair Oaks. I enjoyed a leisurely exploration of the prairie and the trail this morning. The prairie is full of small trees and grasses so getting a glimpse is not easy in the summer. I imagine it will be a bit easier in the winter when much of the foliage will be gone. I still enjoyed the trail and got many reference photos for paintings. I disturbed a lovely doe who leaped away into the woods adjacent to the prairie. This prairie, unlike Paynes is secretive and mysterious. It appeals to me for its natural Florida scenery. It is a hideaway bordering private land. I believe I am going to enjoy painting this prairie. I hope to get there in June again to do some small field paintings.

Linda Blondheim

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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