Jacksonville Arboretum

The FCPS has a very exciting upcoming opportuity! Our president, Lyn Asselta, tells us the Jacksonville Arboretum contacted her to let her know they will be hosting a "plein air day" for anyone and everyone on the first Saturday of May. Usually this would be our typical meeting time, but considering the fact that May might be the last fairly cool month of outdoor painting before the long hot summer, she decided to switch our regular meeting day to June, and is hoping you will all join her at the Arboretum on Saturday, May 5h, for a day of pastel painting!

This will be a fabulous opportunity for you to see other pastel painters, as well as oil and acrylic painters and watercolorists, and a fabulous way to spend a day together painting and learning, watching others paint, and enjoying the beautiful Arboretum.

The Arboretum will be offering 3 "mini workshops" that day for anyone interested in pastel, acrylic or oil pastel. These will be approximately 3 hours long, and will be $45. They've asked Lyn to give the pastel workshop, and artists Keith Doles and Linda Holmes will be offering acrylic and oil pastel workshops respectively.

Bring your painting gear, a bag lunch, some sunscreen, and some comfy shoes. Come for a workshop or just come to paint! The Arboretum (Millcoe Rd, off of 295 (old 9A) at the Monument Rd. exit) will be open at 8:00 AM, and the worshops will be from 9:00-12:00 if you are interested. You can sign up for a workshop by contacting the artist who is teaching it.
Lyn Asselta (pastel): lynasselta@comcast.net
Keith Doles (acrylics): pneapl@bellsouth.net
Linda Holmes (oil pastel): lindah244@gmail.com


If you don't want to attend a workshop the Arboretum will be open to painters all day long. Come out and feel like Monet for a day!

(Thanks to Steve Johnson for providing these lovely photos of the Arboretum for this blog post, and Lyn Asselta for most of the words!)

The Washington Oaks Paint Out

Well today was the the day of our April  paint out at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. The weather originally threatened to be blustery and chilly in the morning, but in the end turned out to be absolutely pleasant and delightful.

We had hoped that scheduling the paint-out at Washington Oaks would draw some of the folks from Ormond Beach, and even the Gainesville area who had expressed an interest in connecting with our society.

But as it turned out, we didn't have any anyone from those areas at all. Only five hardy souls turned up and all of us had a good 50+ miles or more to travel to get to the paint-out!

But it was well worth it. The park is lovely indeed, and features everything from seacoast to formal gardens to riverfront along the Matanzas River.  And with the weather so sunny and clear there were all sorts of options for an artist to choose.

I set up along the Matanzas River with all the fishermen and women, and not only got to paint, but got to watch the boats going by and plenty of birds as well, including a bold Great Blue Heron who came right up among the fisherfolk to beg for fish!

But there were plenty of other fine spots as well. Sadly, our president, Lyn, was not able to be with us due to a serious illness in her family, so we all have her in our good thoughts and prayers.