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