Saturday, December 13, 2014

Exhibit: Fletcher Sketches Big Cypress National Artist-in-Residence Program at Big Cypress National Preserve

The exhibit is still up for a couple months! Would make a great vacation...see the National Preserve and Parks plus Clyde Butcher's Gallery; Swamp Walks, boat outings, best weather of the year and almost no insects!  Lots of wildlife including migratory birds congregating around easily accessible water...
Please check out the National Park Service site "Plan your Visit"
 http://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/art-exhibits.htm
Nov 1, 2013--January 31, 2014   Exhibit: Fletcher Sketches Big Cypress
 On-location art and related works from the National Artist-in-Residence Program sponsored by Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida, USA.
  Easy to find between Naples and Miami on Tamiami Trail
at the Big Cypress Oasis Visitors Center and Welcome Center Galleries at each end of the Preserve.


                            Postcard with detail from large poem-painting in exhibit

                                           Below: a sample from the 52 paintings 
                                        selected for the exhibit from 83 artworks
                                       paintings, sketches and poem-paintings
                            



wildflowers and sun showers






Alligator (eyes) floating with trees and sky reflected



Mangroves meet the Prairie



Pairs of birds, gators and cypress trees



juvenile gator (still has stripes)




Big Cypress Gold
the large poem-painting composed 
on-location in the kayak:

Big Cypress Gold 



The unnamed Roads of waterworld create a wetlands maze
of winding mangrove tunnels where wet prairies go for days
and days upon their grassy swampy sunny sidewalk ways
until a Big cool Cypress dome, a rest stop, gives you shade.
The bird and reptile residents will tolerate a human guest.
A fish might jump into your boat and you might see a nest.
But remember we are visitors and they don’t bother us
“Observe, Experience, Connect” and don’t betray their trust.
When leaving water-wonder-world,
      take memories--
            all you can hold;
but leave behind
      so all can find
            Preserved, Big Cypress gold!

Poem & Image ã12/27/13 and 10/11/14 Mark Fletcher

Big Cypress National Preserve



Saturday, October 18, 2014

World Wide Sketchcrawl number 45 Tallahassee, Florida's New Cascades Park

World Wide Sketchcrawl number 45 was held at Tallahassee, Florida's New Cascades Park:
10 participants got together for the sketch review, lunch and group photo including:



Back row, left to right: Mark Fletcher, Jennifer Clinard,  Dede Harter, John Billingsley, Roger Messimer. Front row, left to right: Mary Sterner Lawson, Barbara Psimas,  Jeff Zenick and Bill Otersen. Also drew, but not pictured: David Gauldin.
We enjoyed bright skies, and comfortable weather with plenty of people and landscapes to draw.

just some of the sketchbooks  (photo by Jennifer Clinard)




"Light and Heavy"
Goodyear Blimp Over Rocks by Mark Fletcher



Trees by Jennifer Clinard



Children Playing in Fountains by Mark Fletcher



Growing Tree and Wiregrass by Dede Harter




Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Building by Mark Fletcher 




Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Building by Jeff Zenick



Children Playing in Fountains by Mark Fletcher



Children Playing in Fountains by Mary Sterner Lawson



Circular Overflow Waterfall and Amphitheater 
with Bill Otersen Sketching down by the Stream
 by Mark Fletcher



 Circular Overflow Waterfall by Bill Otersen





Circular Overflow Waterfall and detail (photos by Jennifer Clinard)



Restoration of a Building by David Gauldin



Action figures by Bill Otersen




Jennifer's Sketchy Shirt by Unknown Craftsperson




Children Playing in Fountains  by Mary Sterner Lawson




Dede, John. Bill, and Mark sketching (photo by Jennifer Clinard)



People by Mary Sterner Lawson



John by Mary Sterner Lawson



Applebee's, game night by John Billingsley



Lotus Plants by Barbara Psimas



Cascades at night by John Billingsley



Wetlands Plants by Barbara Psimas



Couple on Bench with Umbrella by Roger Messimer



Cascades and Jasmine by John Billingsley



Trees by the Stream by Jennifer Clinard

Thursday, September 11, 2014

World Wide SketchCrawl number 44: Saxon Switzerland National Park

World Wide SketchCrawl number 44: Saxon Switzerland National Park:
Better posted late than never: After a week of illness and a day in a most helpful German hospital, went on a "Cure" to Saxon Switzerland National Park near the Czech/German border. Sara carried me up the mountain with her unending optimism. Pinnacles like fingers pointing to heaven looked like Durer's drawings, but were more famously painted by Caspar David Friedrich and the Romantics. Tibetan monk in "safety orange" robes on Bastei Bridge. Impressive stonework by men and nature. Old castle ruins and an angel on the peak. Wind and Acapella choir's songs echoing through the mountains and valleys.


Saturday, April 19, 2014

World Wide Sketchcrawl number 43!

Today was World Wide Sketchcrawl number 43!
More than 50 interested artists asked to be on on my reminder list for this, the 43rd WW Sketchcrawl. Some managed to go to two events in this big spring weekend. Jennifer, Mary S L and Maria went to the Florida Wildlife Festival, so we're anticipating images from that (They saw a puppet parade and a real wild alligator).-- Most of the Tallahassee/Leon  County & Wakulla County Sketchcrawlers chose to meet at the Downtown Chain of Parks Art Festival, hosted by LeMoyne Center for the Arts.  So far I know that John Billingsley, Jennifer Clinard, David Gauldin, Mary Sterner Lawson, Robert Lide, Roger Messimer, Bill Otersen, and Dorothy Stearn were downtown; Also Maria Balingit at Wakulla; I heard Mary Liz Tippin-Moody was drawing too!
 Despite some on and off rain, we had a great time and lots of fun sketching. The Enthusiasm Award goes to Bill for sketching us even as Robert prepared to make a group photograph of us, and to Mary S L and Jennifer for sketching 2 different events in one day.
 I look forward to your postings!
Mark                 Thanks, Robert, for photo-documenting the day.
 Here are a couple of my sketches just to get things started: (I'll add more as they come in)
 Thoughtful David, sketched by Mark


 Mary S L Drawing happily, sketched by Mark


Robert making the group photos, (Bill reflected in the window behind him) sketched by Mark


Frank sketched by Maria Balingit


sketch of Frank by Jennifer Clinard



sketch by Dorothy Stearn



Seated on the porch of LeMoyne Center for the Arts:
Back row: Roger, David
Front row: John, Mark, Jennifer, Bill


sketch by Bill Otersen



sketch by Mary



sketch by Mary



Seated on the porch of LeMoyne Center for the Arts:
Back row: Roger, David, Mary
Front row: John, Mark, Jennifer, Bill



sketch by John Billingsley



Roger sketching



Mark sketching



David Sketching



Bill sketched by Mary



Bill sketched by Mary



sketch by Bill Otersen



sketch by Bill Otersen



sketch by Mary



 sketch by Bill Otersen




sketch by Bill Otersen



sketch by Bill Otersen



John sketching



John sketching



Mary sketching



Roger sketching



David sketching



Mary sketching



Mark sketching



Ann Kozeliski, Director of LeMoyne Center for the Arts:
sketched by Mary



sketch by Mary



sketches by David


Thanks to Robert Lide for photographing, resizing and sending images documenting this sketchcrawl!


Looking forward to posts from the rest of the Sketchcrawlers soon!
Check out www.sketchcrawl.com (forum) to see drawings from around the world.
Thanks for participating.