I'm painting live and painting Stephanie Summers on Fox4 Morning Blend right now

Good morning and Happy Valentine's Day! And I'm starting off the festivities by painting hearts on Fox4 Morning Blend. In fact, right now, I'm painting hearts on a the denim jacket that host Stephanie Summers is wearing. That's right. I'm not only her guest on the show today, I'm her fashion designer!

It's just the start of a big, big day, and I hope you'll join us .... and then come to Bealls on Cleveland Avenue, where I'll be painting yet another heart out loud beginning at 11:30.

So enjoy the show, and see you at Bealls!

Join me and Stephanie Summers on Fox4 Morning Blend on Valentine's Day

Spend Tuesday morning with me and Stephanie Summers on Fox 4 Morning Blend! I’m starting Valentine’s Day by appearing on the show and painting my signature hearts to mark the occasion of Cupid’s big day.

 

Stephanie feels right at home in Fort Myers, which plays host each spring to both the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. That’s because she grew up in a town known for its baseball - The Gateway To The West ~ St. Louis, Missouri. 

 

As a kid, she practiced news casting and play-by-play at her brother’s baseball games. One of her big moments occurred when she got the opportunity to interview her favorite MLB manager, Tony La Russa. Even now, when she’s not broadcasting, you’re likely to find her at the ballpark of Germaine Arena taking in an Everblades hockey game.

 

Like all of us who live in paradise, Stephanie really appreciates our sunny blue skies and temperate climate. But she’s earned her enjoyment of what we call winter by clocking time first in Chicago and then in North Dakota, where she anchored and produced the news.

 

You’ll get a kick out of this. One of Stephanie’s favorite adages is that “a news story should be like a mini skirt on a pretty woman - long enough to cover the subject but short enough to be interesting.

Obviously, Stephanie and I have a lot in common and are going to hit it off big time. So join us for breakfast during Fox 4 Morning Blend on Valentine’s Day.

 

 

The Morning Blend is a magazine-style show airing every Monday through Friday from 8 to 9 a.m. Viewers get an inside glimpse of advertisers, entertainers, chefs and health care providers, as well as community leaders and events. The Morning Blend offers Southwest Florida companies the ability to highlight their products and services while showcasing the people behind them. Viewers are entertainingly informed while being introduced to the people and businesses that have made Southwest Florida a great place to live!

Satuirday, Vino's Picasso, Lovegrove Gallery & Gardens ....

I've teamed up again this year with Vino's Picasso to host painting parties in the gardens at my gallery on Matlacha Island. We've scheduled two events for Saturday, February 11, and one of my most popular paintings is being reproduced during the 3-5 p.m. session. Its one of my Flamingos - a subject that's easy enough for you to paint.

It's true! This one never disappoints. You can do it. It was last year's most popular painting party in my garden. Can you believe there's availability Saturday at 3? Join in on the fun! In fact, here's a novel idea. The Pine Island Art Association’s 45th Annual Art Show and Sale will be held on Saturday and Sunday, February 11 and 12. It runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. The event will draw the largest crowds of the season to our picturesque artists’ community where pelicans and great blue herons circle above moored fishing boats, brightly painted galleries, and fresh fish markets.

The show is located in the Community Building in Matlacha Park, 4577 Pine Island Road, just west of the newly-completed Matlacha Bridge. It will feature the works of more than 100 artists, and will include more than 500 paintings in acrylic, oil, pastel, pen and ink, and watercolor, with an emphasis on Florida landscapes, seascapes, birds, fish and flowers – “all ready to hang in your home.” Come out early and catch the show. Have a late lunch in one of our colorful restaurants. And then wrap up your artful day in the gardens, creating a memory you'll treasure a lifetime.

Hurry and reserve now before they sell out again. Maybe I'll see you there.

More on ArtFest Publix Run to the Arts

ArtFest Fort Myers was a huge success again this year, and I’m proud to have been part of the festivities. In case you didn’t get a chance to drop by, I not only had a booth and exhibited my art, but my painting Flamingo Crossing was chosen as the artwork for ArtFest's Publix Run to the Arts commemorative T-Shirts.

 

The shirts were given to every one of the men and women, boys and girls who ran in the 5K race on Sunday morning, and proceeds from sale of the shirts helps fund ArtFest’s ongoing education and outreach programs throughout the year. I appreciate the opportunity to do my part for these worthy endeavors.

I was on hand for the start of the race on Sunday morning. If you’re a runner, the weather could not have been more ideal. It was cool and foggy, so no one got overheated or suffered from over-exertion.

Of course, I did not run in the race. I could tell you that those days are behind me, but the truth is that I’ve never been much of a runner.

 

However, that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate those who do run, jog, power-walk or just plain ole walk a distance of five kilometers – even when the searing Florida sun is safely shrouded behind a bank of fog. So believe me when I say that everyone who took part in the race, whether you completed the course or not, is a winner in my estimation.

The course started at the intersection of Monroe and Bay Streets. I was going to say that the start line was in the shadows of the Harborside Event Center and City of Palms Parking Garage, but since there was no sun, there were no shadows. From there, the participants raced down Bay Street, past the entrance into ArtFest, and down to Lee Street.

 

At Lee, they hung a left and ran to Edwards Drive, taking a right and running east to the foot of the Edison Bridge. The course took the runners across the Caloosahatchee River to the North Fort Myers side. Then the runners reversed course and raced back to the finish line, which was nestled between D.J. Wilkin’s Florida Panthers sculpture and the west doors into the Harborside Event Center, where a video recorder captured each runner as he or she finished the race.

 

The 5K race was part of ArtFest Fort Myers and included breakfast, yoga, race awards, live entertainment and door prizes.

I have in my possession a whole bunch of photos of the event. Over the next few days, I’ll be posting them here in this blog, on Facebook and in Instagram.

 

So check back often. If you ran in the 5K, you may see yourself there. And if you didn’t, the pictures are terrific. There are some really good shots.

Before I close, I think a shout-out to the City of Fort Myers Police Department is in order. They blocked off the streets, controlled traffic, and made sure that runners, spectators and affected motorists were safe and minimally inconvenienced. Our police department and officers are unsung heroes. Not here! I insist on recognizing their efforts and contributions. So thank you again.

Events like the Public Run to the Arts don’t work without an army of organizers and volunteers. While my part was restricted to providing the art for the T-Shirts, it was important to me that everyone involved – whether as an organizer, volunteer, participant or spectator – had a safe, fun and uplifting experience. So hats off to everyone who played a role in making the run a success – and that extends to the emcee extraordinaire, Diva Diaries’ Stephanie Davis.

Publix Run to the Arts was a big success

One of the highlights of ArtFest weekend was the Publix Run to the Arts. Now in its third year, 899 runners registered for the 5K race, which started at the intersection of Monroe and Bay Streets promptly at 8:15 a.m. while much of the downtown Fort Myers River District was still shrouded in fog. In their registration packet, every participant received a commemorative T-Shirt bearing my art. Many donned the shirts for the race.

Art writer Tom Hall has published an article on the T-shirts and the race in his blog, Art Southwest Florida. Read it here.

Get your limited edition reproduction of 'Flamingo Crossing,' 'Beach Music' and/or 'Scribbles'

Well, it was a glorious day in the downtown Fort Myers River District for ArtFest Fort Myers. Thousands of art lovers, collectors and the just plain curious filed through the festival. Were you among them? If so, I hope you stopped in to say hello to me, Bonnie and Linda and browse the art. If not, then you absolutely must come by tomorrow for the last day of the art festival. ArtFest opens at 10:00 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m., so you have seven hours to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of this premiere event.


As a special incentive, I'm offering a limited edition reproduction of Flamingo Crossing, which is the painting ArtFest used for its Publix Run to Arts T-Shirt. Each one is signed and numbered. I normally don't do limited edition prints, but I thought it would be appropriate given the number of people who inquired at ArtFest last year if they could buy a print of the painting that ArtFest used for its commemorative poster.

The reproductions are just $25. That makes the price affordable for everyone!

I'm also offering limited editions of two other paintings, Beach Music and Scribbles. Collect one or all three. At this price, you can't go wrong.

ArtFest Fort Myers attracts 215 artists from around the country and is attended by more than 80,000 people over its three-day run. As in years past, a wide array of genres and media are represented in this year’s festival, including works in sculpture, painting, ceramics, photography, printmaking, drawing, digital, mixed media, ceramics, fiber, glass, jewelry, metal, wearable fiber and wood. And be sure to check out the chalk art competition featuring entries by area high schools.

ArtFest is just around the corner

ArtFest Fort Myers is just around the corner. It starts on Friday night. The VIP section of the festival will open at 6:00 p.m. Either come just to see the 70 artists whose work is on display in the ArtFest VIP area, or drop in on us while you are visiting the historic downtown Fort Myers River District for Art Walk.

 

If you’ve never been to ArtFest before, let me tell you that it is a huge event.

Between 6:00 p.m. on Friday night and when the festival closes at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, upwards of 85,000 people will file through the fairgrounds, taking in hundreds of thousands of two and three-dimensional artworks created in the studios, galleries and ateliers of the 215 artists who’ve been juried into the show. The fairgrounds extend down Hendry Street from Bay all the way to the City Pier Building and along Edwards Drive from Lee Street to the east to Heitman Boulevard on the West. It’s really pretty amazing.

So, how do you find me? Well, I’m in the VIP section. Just look for the neon pink Flamingo feathers. Why Flamingo feathers? Because my painting Flamingo Crossing was chosen by ArtFest for its Run for the Arts T-Shirts. I’m asking all my collectors, supporters and fans to buy and wear one of these T-Shirts or wear your favorite Leoma-inspired casual wear from Bealls. Let’s make a statement and Leomatize ArtFest and the entire downtown Fort Myers River District.

I have lots of fun and surprises in store for you and everyone else who pays me a visit in my booth. So make plans to come Friday night, Saturday and/or Sunday. Festival hours Friday night are 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

See you there! And wear your best L-Shirt! That’s “L” as in Leoma … or “L” as in Lovegrove. LOL!