Not Hobe Sound

Happy New Year!

Attended my beautiful niece's wedding in the Phoenix area in December - just sharing a different landscape. They don't have a beach but plenty of sand. Those things in the background are mountains.

COWS

The Hobe Sound Project

The Hobe Sound Project took on new meaning today when I went out to paint the orange groves just past I95. It was a beautiful day and I found this great location to set up and paint. When I was close to finished with my painting, Mike the grove manager and friend arrived. They told me that the groves have taken a real beating in the past few years from hurricanes and disease. Becker Groves sold the land to developers and although they are still operating, some day these groves will be gone. They also told me that the trees that I had painted were the Honeybells - and they will get more colorful later on. So I'll definitely have to go back as much as possible!

Just as I was leaving the road crew arrived to clean up!

Just in case anyone out there is reading this - I stopped by Algozzini's today and they have some really nice merchandise in there ready for us to buy for the holidays!

Apparently I've been neglecting my blog. Time does have a way of getting away from me and there never seems to be enough of it.

My project came about while attending a workshop last spring. The workshop was a professional development workshop for artists held at the Lighthouse Center for the Arts. It sure was uplifting and inspiring to spend time with like minded people and get focused on what we wanted to accomplish. We had to really think (not an easy task) about a particular thing and then make a plan. Right then and there! If you know any other artsy types you know that is sort of a new concept and yet we all came up with something.

Labeling something as a project isn't new to the art world but maybe new to Hobe Sound and some people are not quite sure of it.

My thought was that I knew I wanted to spend the year painting Hobe Sound, but I needed to get more people involved. In fact, I thought it would be just the greatest thing to let people who don't paint have a say in what I painted. Non painters hardly ever get to choose the scene, they just accept what is already done. So, the Hobe Sound Project was born and all I needed was a place to exhibit the results.

Some people think that if they tell me about a place that they are obligated in some way and I want to assure people that they are definitely not obligated in any way. This is a fun project that I have merely invited you to take part in.

Thanks to many people, I've uncovered some interesting places and also have a plan of attack.

The thing that really made the whole project gel though was my contact with Molly's House and their willingness to give me a solo show.

Hobe Sound Community Presbyterian Church

The above picture is of the Hobe Sound Community Presbyterian Church located on Zeus Park and I want to thank my friend, Karen Metzger, for taking me there to see it a few days ago. This church is really beautiful and charming. They have a website www.hscpc.org that tells the history of the unique paintings on the interior ceiling seen below. Aren't these rafters wonderful?Each panel was hand painted as described on the church website:

"During the 1956 renovation of the Sanctuary the ceiling panels were painted. Henry LaCagnina, a local artist painted in oils flowers of the Bible in the corners of each panel and flowers native to Florida in the centers. In his own unique way he painted the flowers from scaffolding, lying on his back much like Michelangelo in the Sistine chapel of Rome."




This view is from the courtyard:

Tropical Storm Fay Day

The above view is from the front porch of our flooded street.
The following view is from the back porch.
Obviously not a good day to go out and paint.
However - Friday and Saturday were great days at the Hobe Sound Beach. Here is the Bird Man and his best buddy Red:

The Bubble Houses

Ok - I just had to go on the Inside Hobe Sound Tour sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce because the "Bubble Houses" were on the tour - not that the other places weren't fascinating as well, but this was a rare opportunity to actually see what they looked like inside. Actually, I didn't know what they looked like outside either - until someone told me about them.

Here are a few shots I took the other day. The one here to the left, because I don't know how it got over there, is of the entrance. Above is Kitchen, Loft, Great Room(?) and Back Room. They were really cute and would make great studio's!

One Week Later

After launching my project last week I've since distributed postcards around town with my painting of the marsh and a description of the project on the back. So if you are in the Chamber of Commerce, Algozzini's, Harry & the Natives or the Martin Memorial Fitness Center grab a postcard - they're free!

Most of my requests are coming in emails or in person and the list is growing! I'd say that so far the number one place is St. Christopher's dome, which is definitely a favorite of mine too. Speaking of domes - the little dome houses were also named as a place someone would like to see painted. I didn't know of their existence before this, so thank you for helping me uncover another interesting part of Hobe Sound.

The Hobe Sound Project

Welcome to my blog about The Hobe Sound Project! If you are here then you may already know me and have heard something about my painting project.

First let me introduce myself. My name is Doreen E. Lepore, an Artist/Framer living in Hobe Sound, FL. http://www.doreenelepore.com/ Most of my paintings are either done in pastels or oils and my favorite method is to paint from life.

Painting on location, plein air (the fancy french term), is almost like fishing. You go out and find a good spot. Get your gear out. Slather on the sunscreen and bug repellent. Put on your hat. Then you go into this sort of fishing trance until you are done and hope you catch a good one.

From August 2008 until March 2009 I'll be painting your favorite places in and around Hobe Sound, FL. In April 2009 Molly's House http://www.mollyshouse.org/ in Stuart, FL will be hosting my exhibit of all the completed paintings. A large portion of any proceeds will be donated to Molly's House because there is nothing better than supporting a worthy cause and I really appreciate the use of their space to exhibit the completed Hobe Sound Project. As we get closer to April I'll let you know the exact date of the show opening.

Now all I need is for you to tell me what your favorite place in Hobe Sound is and I will go paint it on location. Some larger paintings will be done in studio, just for the fun of it. The painting you see at the top of this page is a favorite view of mine called "The Marsh" 12x18 Pastels. Where is your favorite view in Hobe Sound?

Please post your ideas in the comments section or send me an email at DoreenStudio@gmail.com. Thanks!