Joan Scherer

The Marco Island Public Library and the Marco Island Center for the Arts work cooperatively to provide monthly art shows at the Marco Library branch on Heathwood Drive. Each artist will exhibit for two months. March and April 2013 will feature the works of Marco Island artist Joan Scherer.

Joan Scherer, artist and art educator, has been teaching watercolor at the Center For The Arts on Marco Island since 1991. Her classes are geared to several levels, including beginners. Joan has a facility for teaching the basics of watercolor and making it fun and successful.

Color is primarily what fuels her passion for watercolor. The water is the vehicle by which color is moved around the paper and determines if the color is rich or subtle, dark or light. Joan has a special love of warm weather scenery and is seen in the rich warm colors that she uses in her demonstrations. In addition, students are stimulated by the liberal critique sessions that are so vital to the watercolor experience.

Learn more about Joan’s art classes and others at the Marco Island Center for the Arts, www.marcoislandart.com.

The 23rd Annual Taste of Marco is just around the corner. Sunday, April 7th, from 10 AM until 5 PM, patrons will have the chance to try the delicious delicatessens made by Marco’s local restaurants.

As has been for a number of years now, the Taste of Marco will be held at the Esplanade on North Collier Boulevard. Admission is $5, with children 12 and under free. Proceeds from the tasty day benefit the Greater Marco Family YMCA.

Patrons may purchase tickets for games food and drink – plenty of beer to be poured at this occasion!

But there will also be fun activities for the kids. A bounce house – always a favorite – a giant slide, sand art, face painting and more will be available throughout the day.

A 50/50 raffle will be held and live entertainment by The Greg Miller Band will set the mood for a great day of Marco’s finest food.

Parking is free and plentiful. So stop by the Esplanade on April 7th to get your taste of Marco.

The parallel reference is certainly true; participating in art festivals doesn’t mean you have any idea how to organize one. Sure, you know the pretty bits that apply to you: there must be an application and selection process. There must be an itinerary for setting up and breaking down. There must be goody bags with cool gifts! There must be rules. I’ve always read the rules very carefully to avoid embarrassing myself (others, I’ve learned, not so much).

But, my world was always peopled with other exhibitors. While we artists were all canoodling about, setting up our tents and display walls, banner companies and paying show fees, the shows – it turns out – were actually being run by a crack team of organizers who have been planning for months. Huh. Go figure.

By now you must be wondering: What in the Sam Hill is she rattling on about?  (And if you’re not, you should be.) Of course, those who attended the March 10th Goodland Arts Alliance’s Inaugural Harbor Arts & Music Festival know very well of what I write. The GAA’s out-of-the-gate event was over-the-top: in talent (musical and visual), in attendance, in sales and in pure ambiance. Of course, what it took to get it there is nothing short of ridiculous.

Most juried fine art festivals open for business six to nine months before the event. Calls to artists go out, application deadlines are set, as is a deadline for jurors to send notification of acceptance – or regretful decline – to artists. (After twenty-five years, I could probably wallpaper a small room with the latter!) Anyway, all bets are placed within three to six months of the event.

It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you don’t know any better. The GAA didn’t exist until six months ago. By November 2012, we had established non-profit status (501(c)3), and by December we were negotiating with Collier County Parks and Recreation for permission to hold a festival at MarGood Harbor Park in February(!?!)… Thank heavens it got pushed to March. Honestly, what could we have been thinking?

We called to artists, through the newspapers and by running like lunatics through art festivals passing out applications. Posters/flyers were designed and printed, and redesigned and reprinted, and redesigned and reprinted some more, as sponsors surfaced (evidently it‘s only proper to put sponsor logos on printed material). There were donations for a raffle – suddenly we were having a raffle!

What about parking? Food Vendors? Street signs?

Most artists have their schedule well in place before the turn of the year. So we were amazed as applications from some of the best of the best started trickling in. We had set a booth limit of 25, but thought we’d be lucky to get 15-20. We got almost 40, which meant the GAA selection committee had to break a dozen hearts with refused admittance.

A few of the best, turns out, had never done an outdoor show. Tents were procured, display materials borrowed, assistance offered and generosities were repaid in-kind. Most artists knew the track well. Still, 90 e-mails a week turned into 90 a day. We were definitely making this up as we went.

Music! Someone had to arrange the music! (We are forever indebted to Tom “Cello-man” Porter, and the six professional acts that answered his call.)

In the end, twenty-six uber-talented artists came. Being Goodland, we assumed they came for a good time, if not necessarily a good profit. But they got it all. The people came, thousands of them. They bought, they talked, they strolled, they called it the best. And it was the best. More than one Naples artist told me their sales exceeded any show they’ve done in the last two to three years.

I wanted to cry. I don’t know how it worked, but it sure did work. And wait until next year, it will be even better – though not necessarily bigger!

About The Author

Tara O’Neill, a lifelong, award-winning, artist has been an area resident since 1967. She holds degrees in Fine Arts and English from the University of South Florida and is currently represented by Blue Mangrove Gallery on Marco Island. Visit her at www.taraogallery.com.

A special thanks to photographer Celeste Navara. Her pictures tell the story of what was truly a beautiful day of art and music, to – literally – say the very least.

About The Author

Natalie Strom has lived in Goodland for over two years and has worked in Goodland on and off for more than five years. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa and is also a former Buzzard Queen of Stan’s Idle Hour in Goodland. email: natalie@coastalbreezenews.com

Beginning at 9 AM, artists will be at their easels at different locations throughout Marco Island and on Goodland and Isle of Capri. Maps will be available at the Chamber and on its website, www.marcoislandchamber.org, for those who wish to view the artists as they create original artwork of our area. The artists have until 3 PM to complete their paintings.

Before the paint has the chance to dry, all 21 works will be rushed to the Rose History Auditorium at the Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 South Heathwood Drive. Beginning at 5:30 PM, attendees will have the chance to view the brand new works of art, still shiny with wet paint. Promptly at 7 PM, the unique live auction will begin wherein winners will have the rare opportunity to take their artwork home and watch it dry as it hangs on their wall.

Sponsored by the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce, proceeds from Wet Paint Live benefit the Chamber’s educational scholarship program. Every year, through events such as Wet Paint Live, numerous deserving local students are granted scholarships thanks to Marco’s love of the arts.

This year’s participating artists are: Paul Arsenault, Carolyn Burger, Judy Chinski, Cathy Demko, Sara Jane Foltz, Judy Harthorn, Lee Horton, Inez Hudson, Mary Moran, William Ward Moseley, Betty Newman, Tara O’Neill, Phyllis Pransky, Gail Trent Risner, JoAnn Sanborn, Joan Scherer, J.J. Stinchcomb, Karen Swanker, Malenda Trick, VicorHugo Vaca, Jr., and Susan Wold.

The public is encouraged to visit the working artists on February 6 as they lend their talents to Wet Paint Live. Those interested in attending the evening auction may purchase tickets by calling 239-394-7549. Tickets are $35 and include a buffet and cash bar. RSVP by January 30 for your chance to watch the paint dry.

About The Author

Natalie Strom has lived in Goodland for over two years and has worked in Goodland on and off for more than five years. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa and is also a former Buzzard Queen of Stan’s Idle Hour in Goodland. email: natalie@coastalbreezenews.com

Bill Moseley -SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Murder, mystery, danger, intrigue, puzzlement and humor are all words that describe the gamut of emotions experienced while watching the Marco Players Theater current play “The 39 Steps”. The same words can apply to the artwork that greets you as you enter the MPT’s gallery hallway.

Setting the tone for the play are Ginny Mueller’s intriguing clay bugs along with the mysterious mix of multi-faceted elements in Clair Keery’s assemblages. Bill Moseley’s three stepped abstract acrylics lend a clue to the mystery to come while bits of torn paper put together in humorous puzzle fashion by artist Joanne Rose will bring a smile to your lips. Feelings of danger and intrigue are evoked by Tyler MacDonald’s photos of those creatures found in the wild.

Ginny Mueller

Business cards of the artists are posted with their work. All work is for sale and can be purchased by contacting any of the theater staff or by contacting the artist directly.

Tara O’Neill
taraogallery@marcocable.com

[In the spirit of full disclosure I tell you now that the following subject touches me personally as I am not only president of the GAA board of directors, but am also on its festival committee.]

The Goodland Arts Alliance is spreading its wings. A fledgling – but a mighty fledging – this newly formed non-profit is dedicating itself to the mission of “preserving, promoting, and advancing, the cultural presence in the Village of Goodland, through art, history, and education.”

The GAA is calling for artists to participate in the First Annual Harbor Arts & Crafts Festival. SUBMITTEDPHOTO

Towards that end (end?), the GAA is sponsoring its inaugural outdoor Harbor Arts & Music Festival, at MarGood Harbor Park in Goodland on Sunday, March10, 10:00 to 4:00. The festival is open to all artists of Collier and Lee Counties, either full-time or seasonal. The booth fees for this event are uncommonly reasonable, $25 for members, $50 for non-members, but that doesn’t mean the quality of accepted work will pay the price. A selection committee of professional artists, all members of the GAA, will oversee submissions in jpeg format. All work must be originally created; fine crafts are encouraged, but no buy-sell items will be accepted.

The venue, MarGood Harbor Park, is the latest jewel in the crown of Collier Parks and Recreation. Because of it’s historic and environmental significance, the property was purchased with Florida Forever funds in 2005. Today native landscaping and lovely walkways wrap around a charming harbor-front, the park also boasts a large open-air pavilion, and a museum/exhibition hall.

Marco Island may be the big oyster of the 10,000 Islands, but Goodland is definitely the pearl. While residents are extremely proud of it’s unique beauty and off-beat style, the good news is Collier County officials feel the same way and are working with the GAA towards providing a future site that will accommodate a working artists colony. Think Cedar Key. Think Matlaiche. Better yet, think Goodland.

The Alliance came into being last September when a dozen intrepid artists gathered together to discuss the lack of a professional exhibition venue in Goodland (current zoning prohibits artists from operating home galleries) and the potential that lay in combining their considerable talent, experience, and knowledge. The group sought the insights of Collier County Commissioner Donna Fiala who, enthused about the prospects, facilitated a meeting between GAA representatives, County Parks and Recreation officials Steve Carnell and Nancy Olson, and attorney Craig Woodward – who also is Board member of the Collier County Historical and Archaeological Preservation Board. Not only did all in attendance give their full support to the GAA, but they also came ready with suggestions and information on how best to expedite procurement of a cultural venue for the historic fishing village. A definitive case of county leaders at their best.

The GAA obtained its non-profit (501(c)3) status in late November and is now busy introducing itself to the area and setting up fundraising events to reach it’s ultimate (ultimate?) goal of a permanent home. Membership is open to the public and donations are most welcomed.

Interested artists should send inquiries to taraogallery@marcocable.com, or call 239-642-0528. Deadline for applications is February 15.

Tara O’Neill, a lifelong, award-winning, artist has been an area resident since 1967. She holds degrees in Fine Arts and English from the University of South Florida and is currently represented by Blue Mangrove Gallery on Marco Island. Visit her at www.taraogallery.com.

Artists Judy Wittwer, Karin Villaroman, Alecia Woodrick, Patty Patrick, Hannah Ineson and Sandy Moore Howe represent the Marco Island Center for the Arts. Photos by Natalie Strom

Artwork abounds at the Marco Island Farmers Market. Every Wednesday, from 7:30 AM until 2:00 PM, a mix of Florida’s finest artists set up booths amidst florists, food vendors, and vegetable stands at Veterans Park. A part of the cultural hub of Marco’s community, the Marco Island Center for the Arts sets up shop, showcasing multiple artists and mediums. The non-profit entity focuses on collaboration and education of the arts in all forms.

Over 40 years ago, the Art League was formed on Marco Island. It found a home at 1010 Winterberry Drive and expanded over time to include world class galleries, a beautiful gift shop and classrooms. The Art League – now the Marco Island Center for the Arts – is home to the Renaissance Academy, the Friends of the Bach Ensemble, the Marco Writers, The Fine Arts Film Festival in partnership with the Historical Society, and the Clay Guild.

Member-artists of the Clay Guild man the stand at the Farmers Market. “We have various arts and crafts to show, but you often see a lot of pottery because the Clay Guild does coordinates our booth,” explains Hannah Ineson, a painter and ceramics artist with the Center. “The booth, itself is to benefit the Center for the Arts and to publicize our events, classes and workshops.”

A Sailor’s Valentine by Judy Wittwer.

And there are plenty to choose from. The Center for the Arts holds classes on just about anything; pottery, digital photography, drawing, acrylic painting, oil painting, pastels, watercolor, basket weaving, knitting, stone sculpture and paper cutting. Mini workshops are offered on jewelry making, painted silk scarves and Chinese brush painting, just to name a few.

Those who are members of the Center for the Arts receive special pricing on classes and workshops. Members also hear exclusively of upcoming artist meet and greets, gallery openings and other special events.

“Our big event coming up is the Black and White Gala,” adds Ineson. On January 25, the Marco Island Center for the Arts will host its annual formal fundraising event at the Marco Island Hilton.

The night features art, an auction, dinner and entertainment. Tickets are $125 per person and can be purchased by calling the Center at 239/394-4221.

And now, back to the Farmers Market stand.

“I started doing pottery here on the island ten years ago,” states Alecia Woodrick, member-artist of the Center. Karin Villaroman and Patty Patrick also display their pottery at the stand. All create some, if not all of their art, through the Clay Guild at the Center.

Hannah Ineson is also a ceramics artist, but her medium of choice to exhibit at the booth is her watercolor paintings of Maine and Marco Island landscapes.

Patty Patrick’s wheel-thrown vases.

Judy Wittwer is also an artist of many mediums. Her current focus is with shell art, embellishing frames, clocks and mirrors. She also hand paints stone crab claws to look like colorful parrots.

Across from the Center for the Arts booth is Sandy Moore Howe, a ceramics artist and member of the Clay Guild and Center. Sandy teaches for the Center along with Annabelle Johnson who also maintains her own booth at the Farmers Market.

Week to week, the artists selling their work may change at the Center for the Arts booth, but the craftsmanship is always quality. To learn more about the Marco Island Center for the Arts, it classes, workshops and membership, visit www.marcoislandart.org.

Tara O’Neill
taraogallery@marcocable.com

Well, here we are at the end of an old [read: worn-out, done-in, used-up] year and ready to take on a shiny new one. (Mmmm, don’t you just love that new calendar smell?) I’m not one to make resolutions, but I do try to set new goals each New Year, and assess my previous ones.

Oh, I know, many of you will put your best scoffs on: it’s just a date; a day like any other; it’s arbitrary! it’s imaginary! To you I say an artful life is filled with imagination and much else that can appear arbitrary [read: creative]. So what’s your point?

A tried and true way to obtain your goals is to actually set some, and most will involve a timeline. The changing of the calendar year is a way to be on the same page (literally) as friends and family, clients and associates, purveyors and personal trainers; let’s not forget seasonal deadlines. January 1st can be thought of as a gift: if you are to set a year’s worth of goals, why not use the handy-dandy date already in fine working order and utilized by billions?

So the two questions are, what will be accomplished this year? and, what will it take to accomplish it? If you have a goal for the first three months, will you need to set a time each day, or a day of each week, to grasp success. If your goal is year-long, are there things you need to do the first and third week of every month to assure the track remains under your wheels? And how do you format such a plan? A journal could be helpful – but I’m no journal keeper, and don’t think I haven’t tried.

Instead, I have fallen madly in love with [read: dependent on] my desk calendar. It’s all there; the hour I set aside each morning to check e-mails, the hours each week that I must devote to painting, the day each month that I must update my website (okay, those who know me or my website are allowed a smile), write my column, write my newsletter, maintain my public exhibitions, and the true ogre: bookwork [read: blecch!]

Does the structure of such a layout seem anathema to the artistic soul? Where’s the free spirit? where’s the spontaneity? It’s precisely because of this structure that creative time can blossom unchecked. I am not a slave to my calendar, but freed by it. When it is time to create, my mind has full focus because I’m not wondering if I paid the mortgage or returned a call or failed to place an order or forgot the cat‘s flea preventative.

While second nature to many, this practice does not come easy to the creative mind – those whose successes come from thinking outside the box. It didn’t come easy to me, I had to learn it (my husband gave me my first desk calendar six years ago). That whole artistic-free-wheely-thing had me spinning free wheelies in all directions and getting nary a step closer to realizing my goals. I bucked and balked and had fits of schedulaphobia, but in the end decided there would be no death sentence in trying the organized experience.

And there wasn’t. Go figure.

I haven’t achieved calendar nirvana quite yet, but I’m getting closer. So in regards to those two questions: I plan to spend more time at the easel and less at the computer; I plan to focus on work while at work, and focus on friends and family while with them. How I plan to accomplish this has a lot to do with showing my calendar how much I appreciate it.

Happy New Year.

Tara O’Neill, a lifelong artist, has been an area resident since 1967. She holds Bachelors Degrees in Fine Arts and English from the University of South Florida, and currently has a studio gallery at the Artist Colony at the Esplanade on Marco Island. Contact her through www.taraogallery.com

Tara O’Neill

Although much of his work reflects the beauty of a rather small geographical area, I doubt if folks around Giverney ever labeled Claude Monet as a local artist. For that matter, do you think New Yorkers ever referred to local artist Jackson Pollack? Of course not.

While the term is often used by well-meaning journalists, most would be surprised to find that professional artists consider it a derogative. It implies a degree of smallness, in scope and in audience, and it reveals nothing of the art created – except perhaps to tell a serious collector that it is only of interest to the artist’s friends and neighbors. As unintentional as the sleight might be, the results can be disastrous.

Last year a well-known Philadelphia-based artist came to my studio accompanied by a Naples writer; the writer introduced me as “one of our local artists.” I smiled politely at the artist and asked him if that’s how he gets introduced around Phillie (after all, every artist has to live somewhere.) The artist laughed, getting my point, but I’m afraid I rather put-off the writer.

Being a regional artist is a different ball of wax altogether. Regional art refers to work inspired almost exclusively by the unique offerings of a particular landscape: Hudson River Valley, Coastal New England, Western, even Southwestern for My personal favorite was dubbed the Ashcan School and dealt primarily with urban-scapes of the Northeast (a kind of American revolutionary reaction to the picturesque pastoral scenes that were all the rage with French impressionists). But regional art is still about the art, method and motif, style and originality.

I am an artist that lives locally. Paul Arsenault, Muffy Clark Gill, and Melinda Trick are artists that live locally. We are all inspired by our surroundings, but not limited to them as subject matter. More important is that we exhibit around the country, and our work is collected around the world. Nothing is small about our scope, or our audience, or our appeal. We are not local artists.

Some artists are more than comfortable with the appellation, it may describe their place in the art world perfectly, but when I hear a professional refer to themselves as a local artist as though it were actually a selling point, I just want to pinch them (tenderly) and explain the limits they place on themselves by doing so.

There’s nothing wrong with advertising that you live locally, visiting art-lovers often love to collect work from artists that live in or around the places they travel, but they aren’t looking for souvenirs, they are looking for art. Change the way you think about yourself, and others will follow suit.

You, dear artist, are a painter, or a sculptor, or a glass-blower, or a weaver, that happens to live…here!

Tara O’Neill, a lifelong, award-winning, artist has been an area resident since 1967. She holds degrees in Fine Arts and English from the University of South Florida and is cur-rently represented by Blue Mangrove Gallery on Marco Island. Visit www.taraogallery.com

natalie@coastalbreezenews.com 

It was late summer and the natives were getting restless. The slow, humid days dragged on and the mosquitoes – while not as bad as usual – pestered in the ears of us as we sat in front of our a.c. units to keep cool. We needed something fresh. We needed something new. And we were in the mood to get creative. Because we’re artists; all of us in one medium or another.

And so it came to be, that on October 7, 2012, 12 artists from Goodland came together under the pavilion at MarGood Park and established The Goodland Arts Alliance. Painters, graphic designers, jewelry makers, sculptors, shell artists, photographers and multi-media artists, all from a one-square mile island, brought their unique talents to the table to form this new 501(c)3 non-profit organization. It’s mission statement: “to preserve, promote, and advance the cultural presence in the Village of Goodland through art, history, and education.”

GAA FOUNDING ‘FAMILY’. Back: Judy Wittwer, Darren Clack, Natalie Strom, Juliet Gross, Celeste Navara, Sherri Morrison, David Fuller, Jim Freeman. Front: Denise Santos, Margi Fortune, Tara O’Neill, Joanie Fuller. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

The 12 founding members of the GAA are Tara O’Neill, President; Judy Wittwer, Vice President; Celeste Navara, Secretary; Natalie Strom, Treasurer, Darren Clack, Juliet Gross, Sherri Morrison, David Fuller, Jim Freeman, Denise Santos, Margi Fortune and Joanie Fuller.

“Residents of Goodland have always been proud of its musical and artistic talent. We all have searched independently for mediums to express ourselves and are excited to be able to come together to share, learn and educate others,” said Tara O’Neill, GAA Board President. “This has been a goal of mine for quite some time. We have great plans in store.”

The Alliance’s first order of business is to establish a viewing gallery at the new MarGood Park Interpretive Center. Thanks to the work of Steve Carnell and Nancy Olson of Collier County Parks and Recreation, the GAA will be featuring works by Goodland artists within the center as soon as January. A Grand Opening of the Interpretive Center will be accompanied by “The Founders Show” which will feature the works of the 12 original members of the GAA.

Before “The Founders Show,” members of the GAA will be hoping to drum up membership at the Goodland Christmas Bazaar. On December 7 and 8, GAA members will be selling their artwork as well as Goodland Arts Alliance t-shirts featuring the GAA logo, designed by founding member, Sherri Morrison. The Christmas Bazaar runs from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM both days and is located at the Goodland Boat Park.

Membership forms will also be available during the Christmas Bazaar. The cost per year is $25. Anyone may join – whether you are a working artist or have no artistic ability whatoever. The goal is to provide ongoing support to the community of Goodland and artists and future artists of all mediums across Southwest Florida. Initial support is crucial to continue the campaign of art, music, history and education in Goodland.

The Goodland Arts Alliance is also currently working on its first outdoor art and musical festival fundraiser. Current plans are to hold the festival on March 10 at MarGood Park, but County permitting awaits.

Future goals of the GAA are to work with the County towards possibly leasing a permanent home at MarGood. The GAA would like to see historical re-enactments performed at MarGood Park, as well as musical festivals, art shows, educational experiences and an established artist colony. While the goals are lofty, our hopes are higher.

In a very short amount of time the Goodland Arts Alliance went from a collection of thoughts to a vision, and now to a reality. Thanks to the help of Collier County Commissioner Donna Fiala, Steve Carnell, Nancy Olson and attorney Craig Woodward’s ongoing advice and support, Goodland may soon be known as, “A Fishing Village with an Art Problem.”

Tara O’Neill

Drawing is a form of language you can conjure an image, a story, a feeling, even an idea, using pictures instead of words. Our prehistoric ancestors may have had the capacity to grunt and bark basic concepts – yes, no, danger, hunger, lust, scram – but they could also tell whole stories, epics even, by drawing pictures in the dirt or on rock walls. Drawing may not have preceded verbal language, but it does preceded written words.

How do we learn to talk? We learn through practice, through trial & error, and by making many, often silly errors; children learn to mouth the sounds that become the words that mean actual things. Of course it would be ridiculous for a 3- or 4- year old to try to learn the rules of grammar and the elements of style while they’re still trying to form the sounds that tell you “shoe” or “thirsty.” So it is with drawing.

As an instructor, I start every course with my second favorite quote from the Dali Lama, “It’s important to know the rules so that you can break them properly.” (My favorite quote being “the purpose of life is happiness.”) Loyal readers will know this quote appears occasionally in my columns – but I can’t think of an arena where it would not apply. You can learn tricks and short-cuts, but to master anything you simply must begin at the beginning.

Opening lessons with a proper singing coach will be breathing exercises, diaphragm control, and, eventually, scales. Culinary instructors will make you begin with measurements, tools, and basic skills such as knife handling, before you even attempt ‘mother’ sauces (the sauces that all others are but variations). If you expect to make drawings while learning to draw, you might as well expect to sing an aria at your first voice lesson, or to make a soufflé on your first day of cooking class.

The best instructors don‘t teach you how to do…but how to learn. Otherwise how could you ever move beyond their limits? As you throw away your first thousand drawings you will be improving your ability to see, and to understand, your subjects. You will be gaining the knowledge, through experience, necessary for clarity of expression. Every course of study, no matter how glamorous, has a most unglamorous starting point. What some will refer to as errors, I refer to as the proper experience. If you miss this this crucial step, if you believe you can reap the maximum results through a minimum of effort, you are wasting your time; and eventually, if you wish to pursue artistic competence, you’ll have to go back to this point.

In drawing, your first task is to learn to observe. Learning to draw is really about learning to see, and not just with your eye…many non-artists are able to draw things of which they have intimate knowledge…things they’ve touched, handled, smelled, heard, and tasted; things they have experienced. An avid fisherman can probably draw a convincing boat, but probably not a flower. A florist could probably sketch a particular flower, but doubtful a boat. And I’d bet that any football player could draw his helmet, if nothing else. And, if you can draw one thing, with practice and patience you can draw anything.

I once had an instructor who believed if you could draw an egg, you could draw anything. We spent weeks drawing eggs: single eggs, piles of eggs, eggs scattered over the table. We drew eggs until I couldn’t stand the sight of one. Then one day, indeed, I had that aha! moment. I suddenly saw egg-shapes in every living form, and boy did I know how to draw an egg! I worked through the tedium, and sure enough, I got it.

Tara O’Neill, a lifelong, award-winning, artist has been an area resident since 1967. She holds degrees in Fine Arts and English from the University of South Florida and is currently represented by Blue Mangrove Gallery on Marco Island. Visit www.taraogallery.com

We can bluff a lot in this lifetime, and that’s often OK, but when it’s important, when it matters, I prefer to reference those wiser than I. So I am borrowing heavily from artist and instructor Robert Genn and author Elliot Eisner in regards to art in education; and offering from myself a little something about education in art. Robert Genn is author of the free on-line Twice-Weekly Letter found at rgenn@saraphina.com

At it’s best, and at any level, art education teaches students creative problem solving, how to tap into one’s inner-reservoir to create innovative solutions. Crazily, it is the first department to get cut from the budget in public schools. Art is as paramount as the three R’s to a well-rounded education, because an artful perspective is as necessary to one’s success as technical proficiency – whatever the field.

In his posting on 8/27/12, Genn references an enlightening book written by Elliot Eisner: The Arts and the Creation of Mind:

“Eisner is, among other things, an enthusiast for art education in schools. Among his insights are “Ten Lessons the Arts Teach.” Eisner discusses the many ways to teach art. Among the popular systems he looks at are ‘Discipline-Based Art Education,’ ‘Art Education as Visual Culture,’ ‘Creative Problem Solving,’ ‘Creative Self-Expression’ and ‘Preparation for the World of Work.’ The book shows the distinct uniqueness of art education. The second of Eisner’s “Ten Lessons” reads, “The arts teach children that problems can have more than one solution and that questions can have more than one answer.”

…The teaching of art stretches young minds to new levels of curiosity…”

So, if you’re an art student, the parent of an art student, or an arts educator, please raise your voice in support of art in education, and while you’re at it, it’s not too much to ask that students studying art deserve competent lessons applicable to the pursuit of a career.

The significant complaint I’ve heard and read (and hold myself) from both art students and art educators is that the business of art is sorely lacking in both lower and upper level educational institutions.

The business of being an artist is still a business. Rare in America is this taught as a subject; plenty are programs that help a student explore their artistry, their creative potential, even (hopefully) technique – but poor few will guide them towards the goal of a career.

Some topics strangely not covered in mainstream arts curriculum: the current protocol for contacting a gallery and what is considered a professional presentation; creating a proper portfolio; what belongs in a resume, a biography, an artist‘s statement; and the tips taught to the students of business: how to describe what you do in ten seconds (the elevator ride), in thirty seconds (waiting on line), and, if your listener is still interested, the two-minute expansion. And how do you keep that listener interested?

Business and marketing are what most art curriculums are missing. If you’re an artist hoping to exhibit through galleries you need to know they get their commissions for a reason. They carry the cost of their venues, the insurances, the burdens of marketing and handling of transactions, and the gamble that the artist they are representing is not a “flash in the pan.” You’ll need every tool available to make a proper presentation and to intelligently respond to a variety of offers.

However, If you are an artist (of any discipline) who plans to represent yourself, then arm yourself with the tools available to any smart independent businessperson. After all, you will be committing yourself to the responsibilities of not only “manufacturing,” but also shipping and handling, bookkeeping and accounting, clerical, marketing and advertising, purchasing, scheduling, contract law…ok, you get my drift.

I don’t say these things to discourage the emerging artist, but to inform them that they have the right, the obligation, to demand of their institution of study the same information and disciplines so readily bestowed on students of other fields (law, medicine, business, mathematics, etc.).

I am convinced that all academic majors would benefit from art classes, and that all art majors would surely benefit from business courses.

Tara O’Neill, a lifelong, award-winning, artist has been an area resident since 1967. She holds degrees in Fine Arts and English from the University of South Florida and is cur-rently represented by Blue Mangrove Gallery on Marco Island. Visit www.taraogallery.com

Clyde and his camera.

The holidays are approaching and more events are being planned in the Swamp. Big Cypress Gallery is hosting its “Annual Holiday Book Signing” with Clyde Butcher on Friday, November 23, and Saturday, November 24. Clyde’s books make great holiday gifts, especially with a special note from Clyde. For more information call (239) 695-2428.

The Everglades Society for Historical Preservation will host its first program of the season on Friday, November 30, at 5:30 PM in the Everglades Community Church annex. Marco Island historian Betsy Perdichizzi will present “Pioneering Medicine in the Marco Wilderness” based on the family letters of Drs. Mary and Lewis Olds. She has photographs from the early 1900s when the Olds first arrived on Marco Island and will read excerpts from her new book “Into the Florida Wilderness; A Journey with Drs. Mary and Lewis Olds, Pioneer Life and Medicine in Southwest Florida.” This event is free and open to the public. For information, call (239) 695-2905.

Fiber art: Rob Storter Exhibition. COURTESY OF DÉDA MALDONADO

The same weekend your whole family will enjoy the Second Annual Swamp Heritage Festival on Saturday, December 1, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center, 33000 Tamiami Trail East in Ochopee. This event shines a spotlight upon the people with a deep connection to the Big Cypress Swamp and whose rugged strength and pioneering spirit contributed to the shaping of today’s unique and diverse culture. Through living history demonstrations, informative presentations, and exhibits everyone can learn what daily life was like in such a remote, and at times, inhospitable place. These unique chapters in American history add to the rich and colorful tableau that comprises our shared past and present. For more information, and an agenda of speakers and exhibitors, visit the event page at www.nps.gov/bicy/swampheritagefestival or call (239) 695-4758. Free admission for the entire family.

Visit Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery on Nov. 24 and 25 for his holiday book signing. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

The Rob Storter Exhibit has been extended through January 2013 at the CCSO “CommUnity” Gallery in the Sheriff’s Office in Building J at the Government Center, 3319 Tamiami Trail East, in Naples. The images in this exhibit are on loan from the Friends of the Museum of the Everglades. For information, phone 252-0810.

There are many more Everglades events planned for December; until then, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

For more information about what’s happening in the Everglades City area, visit www.evergladesmulletrapper.com.

Patricia Huff has lived in Everglades City for the past 18 years and is the Publisher of the local newspaper The Mullet Rapper.

Denise Santos and the new Pierre

By Natalie Strom 

natalie@coastalbreezenews.com 

Where have all the dolphins gone? Ten years ago, the Marco Island YMCA and The Art League of Marco Island introduced 36 dolphin sculptures displayed throughout the city which were designed by local artists. The “Dolphin Debut,” as it was dubbed, raised $123,000 for the two organizations through an auction held on April 13, 2003. Ten years later, a number are still visible around the island, but many have barely been seen since. Artist Denise Santos is searching for those dolphins, hoping to perform a “Dolphin Redux” on those in need of a touch up or, in what is now needed in many cases, a complete makeover.

Known for her professional sign work around Marco Island and Goodland, Santos has already completed one dolphin and has a second in her possession. Commissioned by Bill and Catherine Cook of Marco Island to “redux” the dolphin that sits in her front yard, Santos created a stunning new piece of art.

The Cook’s dolphin was originally named “Pierre” by Geoffrey Stephenson, a ten-year old Tommie Barfield student who painted the sculpture. Pierre “wore” a beret and scarf of brightly painted squares. The hot summer sun eventually faded Pierre’s colors and he was painted with a plain grey primer. This is the condition in which he first came to Santos. Garnering inspiration from a dolphin-shaped puzzle provided by Catherine Cook, Santos recreated it using an oil-based outdoor paint. Ernie’s Automotive provided a professional clear coat and “Pierre” now sits proudly back in front of the Cook’s home.

Acquiring the second dolphin wasn’t quite as simple for Santos. This one she had to seek out on her own.

“All Purpose Porpoise” was created by Chris Lombardo of Woodward, Pires and Lombardo, P.A. The sculpture was made to look like a Swiss Army Knife, outfitted with a knife, corkscrew, scissors and more adorned along its back. “All Purpose Porpoise” sat in front of Marco Island Office Supply on Bald Eagle Drive for many years after the company purchased it through the auction initiative. “It was artwork for the island,” explained Phillip Penzo, owner of Marco Island Office Supply since 1981. “We purchased it to support the community but over the years it fell apart.” Storms and vandals robbed the dolphin of its Swiss Army Knife fittings and the fiberglass frame was badly damaged.

Santos saw this as an opportunity for a “redux” and sought ought Penzo. “I told him I wanted it. I said, you have four choices. You can give it to me, sell it to me for very little, pay me to fix it or pay the dump to take it away. And he said I could have it.”

Pierre’s Fresh Coat. PHOTOS BY DONALD PECORA

Armed with a photo of her “Pierre redux” for porpoise persuasion purposes, Penzo was glad to give her his dolphin, stating that her work was beautiful. Ironically, Marco Island Office Supply was also the sponsor for “Pierre” in 2003.

Santos is currently repairing “All Purpose Porpoise’s” frame damage and hopes to find a commission and a new home for the sculpture. She hopes to find and “redux” as many of the “Dolphin Debut” sculptures as possible. Santos urges those who know of a porpoise in need of a face lift to come forward and contact her at 239-450-0824 or at premieregraphicdesigns@gmail.com

To learn more about Denise Santos and her 40 years of professional art experience, visit her website, www.signsanddesignsbydenise.com