Another Fisher

And following up on yesterday's image of a great blue heron with a fish, a great egret demanded equal time to demonstrate its own fishing prowess.

There has been very little rain for weeks in southwest Florida, so the usual shallow lakes and ponds are drying up.  It is almost literally "catching fish in a bathtub" for the local shorebirds.

Birds

 I live in an Audubon-certified sanctuary in Naples.  Nearly every day I post photographs of birds and other wildlife in a private Facebook group page for members of that community, but it has been a while since I posted a bird photo here.

Here is an osprey that really wanted me to get away from its nest.  

Ever been dive-bombed by an osprey?  I left.

Here is a great blue heron that has tossed its lunch until it is positioned to be swallowed.  

Down the hatch!

Carole Feuerman

 Carole Feuerman is a Connecticut-born hyperrealistic sculptor working out of New York City.  

Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Gardens has four of her works in its collection.

 

Three were summery.

One -- Monumental Fire & Harmony -- was quite different.

Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Gardens

 This new garden is only four-plus years old.  In addition to the current exhibition, Zimsculpt, the garden's permanent installation had plenty of interest.

"Yellow Andy" by Jack Dowd.

"Bouganvillea" by Laurie Tennent, one of several photo art boards around the gardens.

"Keel" by Kemal Tufan.

"Laundry Daze" by Paul Guilmette.

"Ostriches" by Yu Zhaoyang.

"Steel Palm" by Jacob Kulin.

Zimsculpt

 I drove up to Punta Gorda to see hundreds of stone sculptures from Zimbabwe at Peace River Botanical and Sculpture Gardens.  It is a special exhibition -- Zimsculpt -- that closes in three weeks.

"Blossoming" by Stuart Chapenga, sculpted from dolomite.

"Playing with Mama" by Dominic Benhura, sculpted from springstone.

"Humble Woman" by Garrison Manchinjili, sculpted from springstone.

"Out Shopping" by Colleen Madamombe, sculpted from springstone.

"Feeding the Hens" by Taylor Nkomo, sculpted from springstone.

"Standing Bather" by Gregory Mutasa, sculpted from dolomite. 

Saint Katherine Ceiling

 The door of the church was unlocked, so I stepped inside. 

Beautiful. 

Saint Katherine Greek Orthodox Church

 

Saint Katherine has hosted a Greek festival most years, but the last two years, the festivals have not been held.  That is too bad.  I have gone most years that I have been in Naples.

Driving past a few days ago with rich blue skies and puffy clouds, I saw Saint Katherine sitting there.  

So, I turned in.

Three Water Views

So long as I have returned to my day trip to Sarasota last week, here are three images I liked on the five minute walk between Marie Selby Botanical Garden and Bayfront Park.

I wonder if the Sarasota city fathers placed this boat just to entertain passing photographers.

There were loads of pelicans, also paid to entertain passers-by.

I tried to catch the moment when pelicans hit the water on their dives.  

This is the closest I could come in the five minutes I had.

South Pineapple Avenue

 I forgot to mention that when I visited Marie Selby Botanical Garden in Sarasota last week, I parked just off the colorfully-named South Pineapple Avenue, where we had a great lunch at the Fountain Kitchen and Wine Bar.  Along the sidewalk there were chalk portraits, and on some walls there were murals.

A portrait of Mable Ringling, wife of the head of the circus and an art collector who created, with her husband, Sarasota's Ringling Museum of Art.  The chalk artist is Lori Escalera.

A nice mural of days gone past, artist unknown.

I think my father had a camera like this.

It says Escalera After Lanfredi.  Lori Escalera is one of the chalk artists and Simone Lanfredi is another.  Don't know who is pictured and who did it.  ???

Doctors Bay

 

Looking at the neighborhood from the dock at friends' house at night.

More Lautrec

I walked up to several people who were admiring the photograph of Lautrec.  I said, "I have that hat."

Some laughs, more funny looks.

Toulouse Lautrec

 Yesterday Naples Art opened a new exhibition, titled "Toulouse-Lautrec: Master of the Belle Epoque." Drawings, water colors, lithographs, his famous posters and even an original lithograph stone are part of the 150-work curated mix.  I went to the opening party Friday evening.  A friend is on the board.

It all comes from the collection of Paul and Anna Belinda Firos, who have what may be the world's largest private collection of the post-impressionist master’s art.  The collection has wandered from museum to museum over the past fifteen years.

Me:  What do you think of the exhibition?

Man in blue shirt:  It is wonderful.  I saw it in Athens and Cooperstown.

Me:  Oh.

We have all seen Lautrec posters.  Fun to see his drawings.

Fountain

I have always liked this fountain beside Route 41 in Bonita Springs, just south of Estero.

Bayfront Park

 Bayfront Park is a short walk from Marie Selby Botanical Garden.  At present the park has a nice exhibition of large art boards with social justice themes.  Many of the artists are high school students.  

"Pardon my prejudice, said no one ever."  by a California high school girl.

"Pushing away demons," by a Washington, D.C. student.

"Emotional Baggage" by a Savannah student.

Some People Live, Other People Like, by a Brazilian.

A collection of three art boards.

"A Mile in My Shoes" is by a Wisconsin tenth grader.  It emphasizes the variety of people -- young/old, male/female, tall/short, thin/chubby.

"We Want Justice" by an Austrian.