Reflecting back on a different kind of journey - Remember 9-11 Tenth Year

Leoma with Honor Guard at SW FL Intern''l Airport 

When you get to know me better, you’ll discover that I am very patriotic. Very, very patriotic.

Five years ago neared the end of a very different artistic journey for me. As the tenth anniversary of 9-11 was approaching, there was a  need for members of this community to personally express their pent-up and as yet unresolved emotions regarding the losses we Americans had suffered on that truly terrible day.

So I called a press conference at Southwest Florida International Airport, arranged for an honor guard, invited some people, and extended an invitation to area residents and visitors to paint the names of the more than 3,000 victims of the 9/11 attacks on a 10 by 18 foot canvas that would turned into a commemorative artwork during a ceremony taking place at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre on the tenth anniversary of the attacks.

To give as many people as possible a chance to participate in this community-wide and community-based art project, an ambitious 12-week tour was launched.  The canvas was taken to events at the Franklin Shops on First during July’s Art Walk and the Red, White and Boom in Cape Coral on July 4th. The reception was overwhelming. Many, many tears were shed. So many tears.

Painting victims names at The Franklin Shops 

After that, we (husband, Mike Silberg)  went to Naples’ Dennison-Moran Gallery (August 7), Fox 4 Morning Blend (August 12), Iberia Bank in Cape Coral (August 12), Sam Galloway Ford in Fort Myers (August 13), The Shell Factory (August 14), Fort Myers Fire Station No. 6 on Veronica Shoemaker (August 18), Hotel Indigo in the River District (August 20), Lovegrove Gallery & Gardens in Sanibel (August 21), Sip and Send in Cape Coral (August 25 and 26), Bubba’s Roadhouse in Cape Coral and the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre on September 11th.

The canvas hangs at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre for guests to view as they enter the theatre 

Painting the names of 9-11 Victims 

                                                                                                  



A surprisingly large number of those who turned out lost a friend or family member in the attacks. Some people came with a list of names of people they’d lost. So the names of some of the victims were been painted twice, but we didn’t care. And those who selected names at random from a glass bowl often forged bonds with the person whose name they chose. They’d go home and Google the person’s name to learn more about him or her.

The plan for the mammoth canvas was to serve as the underpainting for an American eagle that I was going to engraft over during a Paint Out Loud performance at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre on September 11. Leaving the ghost of the names show through. But over the course of the weeks spent traveling with the canvas and meeting people who lost friends and relatives during the attacks and seeing how people reacted while painting victims' names on the canvas, well, the names became so sacred that I just couldn't paint over them. While the 9/11 victims will always be part of the fabric of America, they also deserved a canvas of their own. So a separate painting of an American eagle was painted instead and, thus, one commemorative became two.

"Remember 9-11 Tenth Year"

                                                                                          The American Eagle painted live during Remembering 9-11- Tenth Year event now hangs in the library at Florida Gulf Coast University. It’s part of their permanent portable works collection and serves as a reminder of the fragility of life and the heroism of all those who took action that day in American history.

FGCU Library

In spite of our too-often polarized politics, all Americans are bound together by love of flag, love of country and love of our fellow country men and women. And so it is my hope and desire that from its perch high above the library floor, Remember 9-11 Tenth Year will inspire students for years to come to dedicate themselves to compassion, community and country.

The canvas with the victims’ names will be included in my retrospective in January at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in the downtown Fort Myers River District.

CLICK HERE for a U-Tube video on the making of the canvas containing the names of the more than 3,000 9-11 victims.

Click Here for a complete list of names for more than 3000 9-11 victims. The photos explain the colors used on the Canvas.  

Lovegrove Gallery & Gardens is hosting Indie Author Day on October 8

Have you ever heard of Indie Author Day? Me either. But when I tell you what it is, you’ll quickly see that it’s an event you don’t want to miss.

Indie Author Day is a one-day, all-out occasion for local authors, libraries and publishing industry experts to celebrate, educate and collaborate. Most of the other hosts are libraries, but why shouldn't an art gallery sponsor an event that showcases the incredible talent that we have right here in Fort Myers and on Matlacha Island?

I couldn't think of any reason not to get involved either, so Lovegrove Gallery & Gardens will celebrating Indie Author Day on October 8. It will be a wonderful opportunity for you to meet local writers, hear about their inspirations, and get an unparalleled glimpse into the indie publishing business, from pitch to publication.

If you're a published author - or aspire to be one some day - you'll have the chance during Indie Author Day to meet, network, make friends and form business partnerships with people who share your passion for writing. If, like me, you're more of a reader, how often do you get the chance to pick a writer's brain, discover exciting new books, and go home with your very own signed copy?

 

I'm also excited to tell you that Betty Freberg is one of the authors who will be joining us on October 8. A Christian speaker, teacher, filmmaker and author, Betty recently published a children's book titled Frebie Dog Tales and she gave me the huge honor of illustrating it! In fact, I had a book signing here at the gallery yesterday (although Betty couldn't come) and everyone who came had a fantastic time. Indie Author Day promises to be bigger, better and even more fun! Plus, you'll be able to check out all the new art in the gallery and enjoy a day browsing the shops and a drink or bite to eat at one of the outstanding waterside restaurants here in historic Matlacha Island.

Other authors participating in the event include Michael J. Silberg, Fran Thomas, Robin Tuthill and Tom Hall. All of the participating authors will have copies of their books for sale. And like me, they’ll be thrilled to share their inspiration, tell you about their book, and answer your questions. More will join in the coming days and weeks, so check back frequently to see who else will be joining us for Indie Author Day.

This will be a fantastic opportunity for you to meet some of talented local writers, connect with like-minded readers and catch a glimpse into the world of self and indie publishing. Who knows? We might even be able to persuade our authors to do a panel discussion, Q&A or informal presentation about their past, present and future projects.

It all takes place at Lovegrove Gallery & Gardens on Saturday, October 8. So save the date! Lovegrove Gallery & Gardens is located at 4637 Pine Island Road in sunny Matlacha Island. For more information, call me at 239-938-5655.

Leoma holds book signing at gallery for illustrated children's book

Earlier today, I hosted a book signing in my  Matlacha Island gallery and botanical garden. The book’s title is Frebie Dog Tales (The New Mailman, The Dog Catcher and the Judge) and it has been written by Betty Reese Freberg, a Christian speaker, teacher, filmmaker and author. Betty afforded me the rare privilege and honor of illustrating the book.

The use of illustrations in books has a long and storied history. Even before Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, medieval monks added gold and silver leaf letters, borders and images to the manuscripts they painstaking wrote out by hand. The process of illumination was both costly and time-consuming, making the illuminated manuscript a luxury item reserved for only the wealthiest customers.

Printing made illuminated manuscripts obsolete, but did not obviate the desirability of including illustrations in printed text. For example, Charles Dickens was one author who fully embraced the use of illustrations to enliven his novels. Dickens would give his illustrators an outline of his plot before beginning the text. He would then monitor their drawings to ensure that they matched precisely with his own conceptions.

Dickens’s most famous illustrator was H.K. Browne. He worked under the pen name “Phiz.” He worked so closely with Dickens as to the specific appearance of characters and the composition of plates that Phiz’s visual interpretation of a character became as important as Dickens’s description, if not more so.

This is the first time that Betty and I have worked together. In fact, Frebie Dog Tales is Betty's first children’s book and my first time illustrating. "And while they have not yet developed the intense collaborative relationship that Dickens and Phiz once enjoyed, you can’t help but be impressed by how well Leoma’s images complement and enhance Freberg’s simple and straightforward  storytelling," observes local author and art journalist Tom Hall.

The book is inspired by a true tale. Frebie was a mixture of Chow and German Shepard. As a six week old puppy, Frebie met and won the heart of his master, a Baylor University college student by the name of Doug. It was the start of a thirteen year love affair between two free spirits. But when Doug moved to Washington D.C., he asked his widowed mom to let Frebie move in with her. Neither Frebie nor Mimi could imagine the adventures they were about to share.


Like Doug and Mimi, many of us have enjoyed the privilege of sharing a portion of our lives with a fur friend who touches our heart and  soul. It was stories such as these that the folks attending today’s book signing shared with me and each other. It was so much fun sharing dog stories today. I met many kindred dog lovers.

Check back often as there will be more book signings in the weeks and months ahead.

The twelve original illustrations that I created while working with Betty at her home in Azel, Texas will be included in  Palettes: Past, Present & Pursuits, my retrospective at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in January of 2017.

Frebie Dog Tales is available for purchase on Amazon and at Lovegrove Gallery & Gardens, which is located at 4637 Pine Island Road on sunny Matlacha Island. For more information, please telephone 239-938-5655.

#LeomaLovegrove’severydayartadventure.
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The adventure continues

It’s been a little more than nine months since Leoma has created a post here. But don’t be fooled. Her art adventure has continued every day. You see, for Leoma Lovegrove, art is life. She paints every day, creating evocative, colorful, Impressionist artworks that are influenced by the environment that surrounds her.

There’s no telling where Leoma will turn up. You might find her on the shores of Lake Superior, building “Beach Boys” out of hunks of driftwood. Twice a year, you’d have to fly to France, because she teaches painting in Claude Monet’s gardens in quaint, historic Giverny. If you’re standing on the banks of the Seine, you might even catch a glimpse of the flamboyant American daubing oils on easeled canvasses aboard a reproduction of Claude Monet’s floating studio as the Father of Impressionism once did more than a century ago. Locally and abroad, Leoma’s been known to hide pieces of her art in general view to be found and forever treasured by passers-by as part of her ongoing “random acts of art” program.

On select occasions, Leoma paints “out loud” – in live performances set to music during special events that support local churches and charities in Southwest Florida and across the state. And when she’s home in her beloved Matlacha, you’ll find her either painting in her studio, chatting with patrons in her gallery or centering herself in her sprawling botanical garden that looks out on picturesque Matlacha Pass.

As you might expect, people around the globe have taken notice of the artworks spilling daily from her Matlacha atelier.

Among those with Lovegroves in their collections are Presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, Sir Richard Branson (whose portrait was commissioned by Virgin Airlines for its London headquarters), actress Sharon Stone and actor Jesse Metcalf. Both the City of Fort Myers and Florida Gulf Coast University proudly include her art in their portable works collections, and her immense narrative mural titled The Catch of Matlacha Island welcomes visitors to the "New Key West" as they cross the bridge from the mainland for a look at the artist community on the water that has everyone talking. 
 

Recognizing the merits and popularity of her work, Bealls Department Store partnered with Leoma in 2013 to create a designer line of merchandise. Today, casual clothing, sportswear, luggage and home goods bearing Leoma's distinctive images are sold in all of Bealls' Florida outlets, as well as online. Not only has this increased the demand for her original works of art, it's lured scores to Southwest Florida for a visit to Lovegrove Gallery & Gardens.

The adventure continues in January, when the prestigious Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in the downtown Fort Myers River District will exhibit a retrospective of the work Leoma has created over the years. Titled Palettes: Past Present and Pursuits, this groundbreaking solo show will feature an exciting array of work from each of the major series that has denoted Leoma’s illustrious career.

In anticipation of this groundbreaking exhibition, Leoma, I and a number of guest authors will tell you more about Leoma’s life work, artistic philosophy and what you can expect to see in January. As you will quickly discover when you check back for subsequent posts, Rod Stewart had Leoma in mind when he sang, “Every picture tells a story, don’t it?” Yes, Rod. Every picture rendered by Leoma tells a unique story. Expect to be surprised, astonished and sometimes overwhelmed.

#LeomaLovegrove’severydayartadventure.

A Silent Night on Christmas Eve on Matlacha Island

Sara joins Leoma and paints a Christmas Tree

On a whim on Christmas Eve (2015) to honor the birth of Jesus Christ I painted live in the front room of my retail gallery. 

I mentioned it on facebook and Sara and her mother stopped in to watch. 

After I had finished a few paintings I turned around and handed a paint brush to young college student Sara and said, "come paint with me". With little hesitation, she did. 

Sara begins her painting

Sara begins to paint.

Leoma and Sara painting live during the
Matlacha Island, Florida Luminaries event.

It was one of my joyous Christmas moments. We have since become friends and Instagram buddies

Sara and Leoma, new painting buddies

 Sara and Leoma, new painting buddies. Gave her an apron because she had no idea she was to be painting that night. We didn't want to get paint on her clothes.

Leoma's "Madonna and Child"

My painting of Madonna and Child. I was nervous to paint a baby because

I had never painted a close up of a new born before. I tried several times

on this painting and finally liked what I came up with. A pleasant infant Jesus.

Sara's "Christmas Tree"

Sara's Christmas Tree

Looking forward to next year's Christmas Eve with Sara.
I love tradition, especially during Christmas. 

I'm looking forward to painting live again at my gallery on Matlacha Island, and I sure hope Sara joins me again. Stop in if you are in the area to celebrate the birth of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

Love Always,
Leoma Lovegrove

 Check out my instagram, Leoma_Lovegrove and see several of the photos from the evenings fun time.

I Wish I Could Be in California

"Wish I Could Be in California"

Today I was inspired to paint the weekly challenge from the Daily Paintworks website. A photo was posted of the California coast and I have such fond memories of my recent visit to the northern coast of California. Last year I spent a week being a tourist and fell in love with the area. I stopped and picnicked with the sea lions, drove up a little ways and stopped to watch the huge waves breaking along the shore due the a big approaching storm. Photographed the the wild zebras for about an hour outside the Hearst Castle and soaked it all up. Spend the last two days with family which was the icing on the California Cake. I enjoyed reminiscing as I painted the weekly challenge. 

Photo posted for weekly challenge on DailyPaintworks.com

Daily Rain Lilies

Daily Rain Lilies

Rain lilies are in full bloom in my waterside gardens on Matlacha Island. I have been growing the bulbs from a mere start of ten teeny bulbs that I bought at a local dept. store. The package said it would take five years to bloom. Well, that was eighteen years ago. Now, there are over five hundred lovely delicate pink flowers blooming all at once right before it rains. Patience pays off and it only took me one hour to paint this small painting. Claude Monet planted flowers so he would have something to paint on a rainy day. I paint in the rain under an umbrella. 

"Rain Lilies of My Valley

These two paintings in this blog are small warm ups before I start my big day of commissions for Bealls Florida Dept. Stores. One per day. I find that warming up before I paint large helps me to stay true to my art. 

"My Rain Gauge"