" ? ", by Robert Leedy, HDR photo image from a limited edition of 50, 16" x 24".

[CLICK ON IMAGE FOR A CLOSER VIEW]

Next week I am hanging five large photographs I shot last year. They will be on display at  Southlight Gallery for Artwalk on Wednesday night. As I gathered the photos in my studio for signing yesterday, I had titles for all except the one above. The perfect title came to me but in the time it took to sign the four other prints, that perfect title escaped my memory…

Then I decided to create this contest!

Come up with the perfect title for the above photograph and win! Search “The Art of Robert Leedy” on FaceBook. “LIKE” the page and post your entry on the wall. (only entries on The Art of Robert Leedy FaceBook page will be considered.) There is no limit to the number of entries you make. The more, the better!

The person with the winning title gets a free, limited edition print of the above photo (unframed, 16″ x 24″) – OR – lunch with the artist at your choice of either Biscotti’s, Blue Fish, Whiteway Delicatessen, Taverna, Chamblin’s Uptown Cafe in Jacksonville or Ragtime or M Shack in Atlantic Beach.

ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED UP UNTIL 10 A.M., MONDAY, DECEMBER 5TH, 2011. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8TH, 2011 – OR – YOU CAN FIND OUT IN PERSON AT SOUTHLIGHT GALLERY ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT!

The background story on the photo:  It is a detailed shot of an old door in an abandoned factory. I shot this series of photos in the fall of 2010 when the building was opened to the public. Originally designed as a factory by architect Albert Kahn in 1923 for the Ford Motor Company, the waterfront structure lies in the shadow of the Mathews Bridge. The Ford plant had a short run – it closed in 1932 and later operated as a parts warehouse through 1968. The building stands empty today.

"Lifeguard Station, Jacksonville Beach - Beach Blvd. & 1st Street North", by Robert Leedy, watercolor on Arches 140 lb. Cold Press paper, 14" x 21.25". From the "Beach Access" series.

[click on the image for a much closer view]

Here’s another painting that fits nicely into my ongoing “Beach Access” series. This actually started out as a demonstration painting for my watercolor class. I arose very early one morning and drove down to the Jacksonville Beach Lifeguard Station before sunrise. I set up my tripod and camera to photograph what is probably not the most classic view of the lifeguard station. But what I really liked was the weird combination of light: sunrise and sodium vapor  street lights from the adjacent hotel parking lot. I was also intrigued by all of the “junk” behind the station – a lifeboat, lifeguard chairs, surfboards, air conditioners, kyaks, umbrellas, and more.

I photographed the scene at various settings and later processed the image using HDR software which gives me an almost human eye-like, overall balanced exposure. A very good photographic image to paint from is the result. The HDR seems to enhance the sodium vapor lights and the pinkish, orange light drastically changes what is normally a white building.

I got out of the parking lot before I aroused any unnecessary attention. I mean, don’t you imagine Homeland Security might come running if they saw a strange man photographing the air conditioning units of a public building at 6:30 in the morning?

In class, I showed students how to start a painting with a complete, unrelated underpainting – random color put down wet-into-wet on paper. When the underpainting is dry, I drew my scene onto the paper and began laying in color. The photograph is merely a start and I eventually tossed it aside to create interesting color combinations and solve color problems on my own. The photographic image is merely a jump start. The painting went on to the studio for further work…

The surreal lighting gave me an open invitation to play with color and have fun. And fun I did have! This may not be the Chamber of Commerce view of the lifeguard station but it turned into a nice painting regardless…

…and I avoided getting arrested on terrorism charges!

]]> http://robertleedy.com/2011/11/16/lifeguard-station-jacksonville-beach-beach-blvd/feed/ 3 skyking "Lifeguard Station, Jacksonville Beach - Beach Blvd. & 1st Street" http://robertleedy.com/2011/11/15/morning-sentry-at-11th-street-beach-access-series/ http://robertleedy.com/2011/11/15/morning-sentry-at-11th-street-beach-access-series/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:14 +0000 Robert Leedy http://robertleedy.com/?p=1931 ]]>

"Morning Sentry at 11th Street", by Robert Leedy, watercolor on Aquabord panel, 11" x 14".

I love this house. I’ve painted it before and am always drawn to it. For me, it exemplifies old Atlantic Beach – that lifestyle before McMansions and high property values arrived. Back when most houses’ interiors were unpainted pine paneling which took on a special aroma after years of baking in the North Florida sun. It’s a part of Atlantic Beach that is slowly disappearing.

I hate to admit that I do not know how this house is referred as (maybe someone can help me out here) but it is just one house south of [what used to be called] The Bull House – near the end of 11th Street. I’ve actually been in this house years ago – a friend in the wine business rented it one summer. And, yes, it smelled wonderful with that old paneling and you knew the house surely had many stories to tell.

Another favorite structure in Atlantic Beach is the lifeguard chair. I’ve always wanted to paint one and will most likely approach them again – only on a more straight forward context with perhaps an abstract slant. They are interesting objects deserving of an isolated look. Lord knows how old they are or  how many coats of red paint they are wearing…but then, they could very well be brand new. I may be wrong but I seem to recall that the lifeguard chairs were once dark green – back when Atlantic Beach had 10 foot concrete bulkheads and large granite boulders separating the ocean from the houses. I also remember seeing large wharf rats scurrying around the rocks at sunset.

The house actually has light brown shingles on the roof but I left it white to give the effect of bright sunshine. The dormers are a distinctive feature and I love how the morning sun kisses the shadows and announces the new day…

I could probably put a dozen more glazes of red on the chair to match the richness of its same meeting with that morning sun and I just might do that on the next painting. That’s one of the things that really strikes me about the chair – the depth of inviting color –  that bright red that makes it so iconic.

One day this house will be gone and I’m sure lifeguards will no longer use chairs – or they will be replaced by beach droids…

And I was once there – way back when – not too far after the bulkheads and granite boulders – painting them.

"Electric Acoustic", by Robert Leedy, watercolor on Arches Hot Press paper, 22.5" x 22".

[click on the above image to get a really nice enlarged version!]

I love music. I cannot live without it. I own several thousand CD’s which I listen to constantly (thanks to the iPod and my exhaustive effort of digitizing my collection). Sadly, all of the bricks & mortar music stores are closing down because they decided they can’t rely on me alone to make a living.

I am one of those unfortunate souls who is doomed to musical klutzdom. I really admire those painter friends of mine who can pick up a guitar or sit down to a piano and rip away. I mean, c’mon, I’m in the artist family! I can draw, paint, cook, write and even take a pretty good photo. (oh yeah, my wife says I’m a pretty good actor, that is, when I believe I am sick.) So, why can’t I play an instrument? A musician friend of mine says my ear is very good and that I should have been a producer but that certainly wouldn’t quench a musical thirst at all.

I have noticed lately how my musician friend and I have a similar creative process. Painting and music are not that far apart. In fact, we speak the same creative language – only with certain words swapped out. I’ve even had a painter friend tell me that my art is very musically structured – in a matter of timing and placement. Interesting connection…

Yet, I am lucky if I can run through the bass line of Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed & Confused” on a ukelele without screwing it up. Oh! And I can play the first few lines of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “You Got to Move” on a harmonica! [SIGH...]

And on vacation, I was so excited that Apple’s GarageBand was available as an App for the iPad. Vicky shook her head in disbelief as I spent the entire plane ride to San Juan creating my own avante garde Musical Suite for Two Yo-Yo’s in A-minor. She just doesn’t get it.

I was thrilled to be asked by fellow painter and fellow Southlight Gallery artist, Kathy Stark, to show my work during an upcoming local concert with jazz guitarist Earl Klugh and singer Nnenna Freelon. Kathy is on the board of Riverside Fine Arts Series who is sponsoring the concert. The concert is Friday, November 18th. You can purchase tickets and read more about the artists at Riverside Fine Arts Series web site

I just completed the above painting, “Electric Acoustic”. I had a lot of fun with the guitar’s fretboard and as I worked from a photo I took, I was navigating around all of the wires until I decided to keep them in the painting and actually accentuate them. I think I even added more than there really were. I like the close cropping which really throws the viewer into the action. The painting started out in a limited palette but with Robert Leedy in charge of the paintbrush, that idea did not last very long.

This painting, along with many others will be on view during the concert Friday night. I hope you can make it. I also may be painting live if I can find an out of the way corner…

Earl Klugh – acoustic guitar
Nnenna Freelon – vocals
Robert Leedy – sable hair brush 

"East Coast and 7th Street", by Robert Leedy, watercolor on Arches 140 lb. Cold Press paper, 16" x 22". Painting available for sale at The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach.

Another great day painting in North Florida!

“Painting the Region, an  annual plein air event with 40 + artists supporting the North Florida Land Trust and the Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach continues!

Before this week-long event began, I promised myself I would dutifully go out and scout potential locations. Well, I have to admit that task must have fallen into the pile with things like “alphabetizing my files in my filing cabinet”…

Tuesday morning found me running behind a bit and after checking in at Ponte Vedra and driving back to Atlantic Beach, I drove to Hannah Park to look for painting spots there. Nothing sparked my interest – and I must say that hanging in with a painting all day long requires a bit of passion that has to be there from the start. I drove back to Atlantic Beach and passed by a long list of potential painting locations. None spoke to me this morning. Then there was the run-in with a busy body woman who insisted I could not park where I did. I admitted to her that I did not see the no parking sign and I would move my car but she would not relent. These unfortunate  bad Karma situations pop up on occasion and when painting, you need to brush them off quickly…

I even called my friend Amy Roberts. Amy lives in the cool part of Neptune Beach where the street is the size of a tiny pathway. We ran down a list of “paintables” but nothing really grabbed me. Amy called me back to tell me that her office-full of Beach residents overheard our conversation and all had favorite suggestions to throw in. I drove by more of my personal potentials but nothing excited me.

As I drove around Atlantic Beach, the weather was behaving wonderfully. Then I saw the stark white roof that always catches my attention as I drive south on East Coast. This was my spot!

The ideal vantage point was from the sidewalk under the shade (thank you) next to Bull Memorial Park. It was just me and the AB Moms and their tricked out strollers talking about everything baby-related.

It was 11 am by the time I got started. Way too late! I rushed to get a drawing going and soon was deep into my painting.

The activity of painting – for me  - often involves an initial struggle and then I eventually settle into the painting and if I am lucky, it’s a Zen thing and I am really deep into a concentrated effort. This is what we artist strive for! Today was tough but I had a feeling things would get better.

I looked at my watch and was terrified at how fast time was passing – my painting needed to be ready – and framed – by 4 pm.

A lot of people drove by and stopped to say hello: some friends, some strangers.  Lou Rice wins the prize for Most Favorite as he brought me a sandwich for lunch (I never ate it but will do so tomorrow at lunchtime!) Lou has an innate ability to show up out of nowhere with food or coffee, a real artistic support, he is…

I struggled with my painting and at several points during the afternoon and realized my work would not make the 4 pm hanging at Ragtime Tavern seven blocks away. I persisted and eventually, things began to turn to my advantage. It was a classic fight with my work. I continued to push myself time-wise and nervously watched as the clock got closer to 4 pm.

This painting is all about watercolor to me: loose color with lots of preserved whites and painted in a fast, loose manner. I played complementary colors against one another and strove to create a vibration between lights and darks. This scene had appeared before me so many times and it was almost like I knew what to do before I did it…

The white roof catches my attention with its contrast with the dark foliage background. I also like the stop sign. It is quintessential Atlantic Beach. A neighborhood woman comes up to me in the park as I am framing the painting and says to me: “We moved here 20 years ago and I have always thought this is real Atlantic Beach. You have captured it well here.”

That was the best compliment I could ever receive.

I made the Happy Hour at Ragtime and was so happy to sip on a cold beer at the end of the day with my fellow plein air painters. The weather has been great and so far I have produced a good painting each day. I hope my luck continues…

Today we will be in Jacksonville Beach. I have no idea where I will end up. If you wish to come out and watch, go to The Artists’ Painting Locator or find me at Where is Robert Leedy Painting Today?

Happy Hour today will be at The Pier Restaurant in Jacksonville Beach from 4 pm – 7 pm. All paintings completed today will be on display at the restaurant and available for sale. And as the week progresses, the collection of paintings will be on display at The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach. Saturday evening will be the closing reception at the Cultural Center. Cocktails, appetizers, live music and great art! If you don’t have your tickets yet, call (904) 280-0614 or buy online.

I hope to see you out in the field or at the party!

"Miss Rosa's Naptime", by Robert Leedy, watercolor on Arches 140 lb. Cold Press paper, 12" x 18". Painting available for sale at The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach.

There could not have been a more perfect day for painting in Mayport, Florida than Monday!

I am painting all this week with 40 other artists as part of “Painting the Region” which is an annual plein air painting event to benefit The North Florida Land Trust and The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach.

After checking in at the Cultural Center, I drove to Mayport to scout a location. Painters and their easels already dotted Ocean Street in Mayport.  I found an interesting location which turned out to be the property of the St. Johns River Ferry Service. As I got out of my car, I saw that Russ Wilson and Randy Pitts were looking at the same shrimp boat I had seen.  I studied the rigging and lines on the boat and wondered if this was going to be too big of a bite for a one-day session. Russ decided to move on to another location – in search of something more of a landscape – and Randy suddenly realized he had left his panels at the Cultural Center. He drove back to Ponte Vedra to retrieve them.

I stayed and set up my easel after taking a few photographs. It was a beautiful morning and before I realized it, I was deep into a painting…

Track Robert Leedy’s painting location daily:

Click here to see where Robert Leedy is painting.

I think I’ll use sunscreen for the rest of the week!

Jim Draper gave a plein air workshop Saturday, October 1st at the Stockton property in South Ponte Vedra Beach. Photo by Robert Leedy.

This week, I have devoted my days to plein air painting in North Florida’s coastal areas as part of “Painting the Region” sponsored by The North Florida Land Trust and the Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach. I am thrilled to be invited to their annual event ! 40+ artists from Florida, Georgia and North Carolina will be painting outdoors from Mayport south to Vilano Beach.

The public is invited to come watch and various activities will coincide with the event throughout the week. At the end of each painting day, artists will display their freshly painted works at participating restaurants while the growing cumulative collection will be housed and on display at the Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach. The original paintings will be available for sale daily at the Cultural Center and at various Happy Hour venues (see below). Saturday evening will mark the closing night of the event with a gala reception held at the Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra. Tickets are required for the Saturday evening party. (see below).

List of Participating Artists:

Spectators will be able to track individual artists’ daily painting locations at www.paintingtheregion.com  - AND – I have set up my own GPS realtime tracking system on my blog site www.robertleedy.com (I don’t always sit still!) Click here to find out WHERE IS ROBERT LEEDY PAINTING?

My GPS will be activated early Monday morning through Saturday. And of course, I will be painting in watercolor…

ORIGINAL ART SALES:

Original works of art will be for sale daily. Artists are donating 30% of the sales to The North Florida Land Trust and 10% to The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach. This is a great way to support local environmental efforts, cultural institutions and the artists themselves!

DAILY SCHEDULE:

MONDAY: Artists will be painting in Mayport  10 am – 4 pm. Meet & Greet at Singleton’s Seafood Shack, Mayport from 4 pm – 7 pm. Artists’ works from the day will be displayed in the restaurant.

TUESDAY: Artists will be painting in Hannah Park & Old Atlantic Beach  10 am – 4 pm. Happy Hour at Ragtime Tavern, Atlantic Beach from 4 pm – 7 pm. Artists’ works from the day will be displayed in the restaurant.

WEDNESDAY: Artists will be painting in Jacksonville Beach  10 am – 4 pm. Happy Hour at The Pier Restaurant, Jacksonville Beach from 4 pm – 7 pm. Artists’ works from the day will be displayed in the restaurant.

THURSDAY: Artists will be painting in Vilano Beach  10 am – 4 pm. Happy Hour at Beaches at Vilano Restaurant, Vilano Beach from 4 pm – 7 pm. Artists’ works from the day will be displayed in the restaurant.

SATURDAY: Artists will be painting Guana Preserve  10 am – 4 pm. An Evening of Color Patron’s Party at The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach (50 Executive Way, Ponte Vedra Beach) 7 pm – 10 pm. Cocktails, appetizers, art & live music. Tickets available: $30 Single; $50 Couple; $100 VIP Admission for 2 (includes $50 coupon towards the purchase of a painting). Call 904-285-7020 to purchase or go online: BUY TICKETS ONLINE!

Local Interests Map – This is an excellent Google Maps link which highlights things and places of interest throughout the Painting the Region boundaries.

Spectator Guidebook

READ MORE:

The North Florida Land Trust

The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach

I hope you can make it out! – Robert

Click here to see the real time map of where I am painting

This map will show my exact location (within 50 feet) – in real time. To verify that it is real time, check the date & time on the left-hand side under “Last Position”. You will need to refresh your browser to update live locations. You can view the map in Map or Satellite modes; Hybrid mode will give you the Satellite view with street names listed. The GPS will not always be on; however, if the last position was recorded within a few hours, chances are I am still painting at that location.Here’s a fun local event you should not miss!

The hesitation in his voice assured me it was not a telemarketer yet that hesitation also worried me a bit…

“I wonder what this guy wants,” I told Vicky as I called the number.

Without allowing me to identify myself, the caller immediately greeted me with: “I know this is a rather bizarre thing to call you about but I have something in my possession that might be of interest to you.”

This was very strange and I suppressed a very deep sigh. I didn’t like the tone of his voice.

“My son and I are building a fence and we found your birth certificate in the dirt. I thought you might like to have it.”

This is definitely some sort of a scam, I thought. Then he read the certificate to me and I knew he was telling me the truth.

It was on a small road a half block off of Beach Blvd. near the 9-A overpass. He and his son were building a fence for a motorcycle parts dealer and they found my birth certificate as they were digging a post hole. The son got excited and wanted to take the certificate home and Google my name on the Internet. “I’m not carrying some man’s ID in my car,” the father told the son, “If the police stop me, they’ll probably arrest me!” The son persisted and the father finally allowed him to take the certificate home where – thanks to my diligent effort of getting myself all over the Internet – he was easily able to find a contact #.

“My son insisted on doing this because the document was so old…”

“Yes, and I am even older!”

“Yeah – you’re like 55! That’s my dad’s age – really old!”

A different, audible sigh came out of me this time.

Robert Leedy's birth certificate copy issued in 1975 by the State of Florida and found in 2011.

Sean told me they would be back out at the site the next morning if I wanted to come by and pick up my birth certificate.

“Hey, just in case you’re worried I’m some sort of a psycho, my son is getting ready to become an Eagle scout and I am a scout master myself.” We both laughed and agreed on a time to meet the next day.

Sean & his son, Clive posing for a photo. Clive searched me on Google and found the owner of the 1970's birth certificate.

I found the motorcycle parts dealer tucked back off of Beach Blvd just as Sean had given me directions to. A man with long hair and wearing a sort of straw, Panama hat came out from behind a recently built fence. It was Sean. A boy with tussled blonde hair followed and introduced himself as Clive as he shook my hand. Sean pulled out the birth certificate as Clive explained where he found the relic:

“It was in the dirt, right over here,” he said, pointing to a fence post,”it must have come out of this old, trashed double wide we demolished to put this fence in.”

“And you convinced your dad to let you research who it belonged to on the Internet?” I asked him. “That is impressive investigative work!”

“Yeah, I found your web site on the Internet,” he smiled,”and I really liked your work – your paintings are really cool.”

“I’m glad you like them,” I said as I stepped back over to my car and reached in, “because I brought you this in return for finding my birth certificate…” I gave him one of my prints.

I think he was thrilled. He smiled, thanked me and asked his mother who was standing nearby to put it in a safe place in their car.

Sean and I chatted for a few minutes. We were both amazed at how my birth certificate popped up out of nowhere. After all these years.

“I guess these things happen for a reason,” Sean mused.

“Yeah, I think they do,” I added.

Why that happened remains to be seen. I guess I will find out soon. Maybe.

"Beach Access: Paintings by Robert Leedy"

My paintings from the “Beach Access” series will be on exhibit at Archway Gallery & Framing in Atlantic Beach, Florida through August 12th. If you are in the area, do stop by and see them.

The opening reception is Thursday evening from 5 – 9 pm. Light hors d’oeuvres and wine served. The public is invited.  The Beaches Art Walk is also happening that night so, it should be a quite active evening.

Archway Gallery & Framing
363 Atlantic Boulevard
Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233
(904) 249-2222

Hours: Monday – Friday 10:30 am – 6 pm;
Saturday 11 am – 4 pm; Closed Sundays.
www.archwaygalleryandframing.com