A Brush with Nature

My first painting for the event: "Rosemary Scrub", by Robert Leedy, watercolor on Arches 140 lb. Cold Press paper, 17.5" x 11.5".

A Brush with Nature kicked off today at the Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens. It runs thru Saturday, March 31st. It is a plein air invitational where 36 artists will paint throughout the gardens in a variety of mediums. The public is invited to come out and stroll through the gardens, relax and watch the artists painting while enjoying food, music and a variety of activities. Most artists will be painting daily from 9 to 5 and 9 to 3 on Saturday. Artwork by artists will be available for sale. A tent is set up exclusively for viewing completed works.

I started out early this morning. As usual, I was dragging along way too much gear but I was pretty far up the Rosemary Ridge Trail and it is better to be safe than sorry…

I was drawn to the swiggly trees along this part of the trail. The morning light was very nice and surprisingly, the midday light was not too bad as the trees from a sort of canopy. The reflected light from the pine straw on the trail gave the underside of the tree limbs a nice red glow.

The gardens are beautiful this time of year. There are plenty of trails to hike or run on. The Arboretum is normally a dog friendly place but people are asked not to bring their dogs during this event. There will be artist demonstrations, food, music, and a special children’s art tent.

Saturday evening will be the finale with a gala reception at Gallery L in the Wells Fargo Building downtown. Music, wine, hors d’ouvres and great art. All art produced during the event will be on display and available for sale. Proceeds will benefit both the artists and the Arboretum. For tickets and more information, go to www.abrushwithnature.org

Also visit the Arboretum’s site for information on normal operating hours, trails, membership and more,  visit www.jacksonvillearboretum.org