florida wildflower studios
florida wildflower studios
  • Home
  • Find a Class
  • Gray Gallery Exhibits
  • Gallery
  • Annual Art Show
  • About Us
  • Gallery Members
  • More
    • Home
    • Find a Class
    • Gray Gallery Exhibits
    • Gallery
    • Annual Art Show
    • About Us
    • Gallery Members
  • Home
  • Find a Class
  • Gray Gallery Exhibits
  • Gallery
  • Annual Art Show
  • About Us
  • Gallery Members

Calling All artist

Welcome to Florida Wildflower studios Art Gallery!

Florida Wildflower Studios’ 8 th Annual Winter Art Show


“Architectural Florida “


Congratulations to All the Winners

Welcome to the Patricia Maxcy Wilson Memorial Awards Presentation,

Sponsored by The Maxcy Foundation and Citizens Bank, Friday, February

28, 2025, 5pm.


A special thanks to our Musical Guests “The Logans”. We all enjoyed your

beautifully blended voices and fun song selections.

See you for Francine Michel’s Reception, March 28.

We decided to invite people to help us come up with the theme for

2026 Art Show. We had many wonderful ideas. Our Show

Committee chose the theme that best represent most all of the

suggested ideas that were entered. The winner of the chosen

theme is Gail French with “Eating Out In Florida”. Gail was

presented with the latest book in the series, Frostproof Treasures, by Bea

Reifeis titled, “Ramon Theatre”.


The Author herself was on hand to do the presenting.

Congratulations to the “People’s Choice” winner, “Gone Fishing”

by Mary Quartermaine. Mary received a beautifully designed floral

arrangement by our local florist Laurel at Bloom Box whose work is

above and beyond wonderful.


Thank you to our wonderful Show Judge, Artist Wayne Chunat who

spent a lot of time studying the art entries and jotting down

comments. We are grateful for your expertise.

Our Finest Congratulations to Sandra Nitch for The Honorable Mention Award for Your Watercolor titled, “A Bridge to Tomorrow," The Judge, thought it had a mysterious feeling. He

said the presentation, mat and frame supported the image. He

found the white stars grabbed his attention. He enjoyed this piece

very much. The Artist has a very special connection to this painting,

which can be felt when viewing.


Our Finest Congratulations to Heather Earl for the Honorable

Mention Award for your beautiful photo of Bok Tower titled,

“Harmony in Reflection”. The judge said there was great capture of

cascading light diagonally from left to lower right then repeated in

the foreground on lilies leading viewer into the photo, well done!

Congratulations to our 3rd place winner Kathy Nall, for her sculpture

of hand-felted wool titled “Nature’s Artesian”. Kathy received $50

with her ribbon. This amazing wasp nest and wasp were all hand

felted. The judge felt this was a very creative interpretation of

Natures Architect.


Congratulations to our 2nd place winner Lyle Smith for his

watercolor rendition, “Casa de Josefena”. Lyle received $75 with

his ribbon. The judge said that both paintings by this artist

presented well; frames and mat support image; perspective good;

artist takes viewer through the painting; and focal point well

defined.


Congratulations to our 1st place winner Encaustic Artist Francine

Michel who received $150 with her ribbon. She chose to use

Gouche for her medium in the genre of Arts and Craft Movement.

The judge said it was a wonderful presentation and subject

compatible. He liked the striking lines that add to the overall

structural integrity of the building. Use of color POPS image and

captures your eye. The frame adds to the texture of the painting.

The Best of Show Winner has a great presentation. The frame

complements pictorial values and is structurally correct. The difficult

multidimensional planes were handled well. Attention to detail was

spot on, yet not overdone allowing viewers to interact with the

subject. Both works by this artist were in the running for Best of

Show.


The Best of Show received $300 with her ribbon and goes to,

“Pasadena Church” by Sam Aschenbrenner.

We Thank You all for your participation and support to keep art growing in

our community!


Sincerely, Florida Wildflower Studios, Your Community Art Gallery

Jacque Palomaki, Chip Newton and The Maxcy Foundation

Now is the time to start your creations for next year’s show, “Eating Out in

Florida. Think about Who, What, Where and When.

View Exhibits
Coming January 2025

8th Annual Winter Art show

  

CALLING ALL ARTISTS; January 2025 8TH Annual Winter Art Show Competition.

The theme, “Architectural Florida”. We love when you think out of the box. Fallen, famous, futuristic and forget-me-not structures in Florida. Artwork shall be produced after January 2024.

Previous Shows

Coming October 2025

  

CALLING ALL STUDENT ARTISTS GRADE 6-9 

FOR THE OCTOBER 2024 SHOW; 

Robert A. MacMIllan Memorial Student Art Show & Competition theme, “A Look into Your Future”

Hosted by Florida Wildflower Studios, Exhibit Dates October 21 through November 22, 2024

1 Free Entry Per Student/ Any Medium / Frame Not Required

Drop Off Dates: 

Hello

Deco Earth Show

Discover our collection of exquisite art pieces from artists around the USA. Visit us today and experience the beauty of fine art.

Find out more

2024 7th annual winter art show winners

Mycelium Magic

 Best of Show- Alexa Berrong, OIl  

The Bok

 1st place-Wayne Chunat, acrylic

Silent Watch

2nd Place-Heather Earl, photography

Scrub Jay

3rd Place Susan Aschenbrenner, Acrylic
 

Rise & Run

Honorable Mention- Tessa Taylor, watercolor
 

Waterlilies

Honorable Mention- Lyle Smith, watercolor  

Abandoned Boat

People's Choice Award- Ginger Godrey, acrylic

Oh Deer

Honorable Mention-Hope Tew, acrylic

show highlights

Alexa Berrong

Robert MacMillan Memorial Student ARt show featuring Frostproof Middle School Students with teacher Evelyn Pagan

Middle School winners

Squiggle Cliff

Christmas Dream

Christmas Dream

1st Place- Angela Valerio, grade 8

Christmas Dream

Christmas Dream

Christmas Dream

2nd Place-Ava Griffiths, grade 8

Lost Trees

Christmas Dream

Pumkin Treat

3rd Place-Evelee Pagan gradie 7

Pumkin Treat

Halloween Pumpkin

Pumkin Treat

Honorable Mention- Emily Chumney grade 8 

Moonlight

Halloween Pumpkin

Halloween Pumpkin

Honorable Mention- Guadalupe Tirado, grade 7

Halloween Pumpkin

Halloween Pumpkin

Halloween Pumpkin

People's Choice Award- Dolores Martinez

2024 Show Judge

Dana Daydodge

This year's judge was watercolorist Dana Daydodge. The artist moved from Chicago to Florida in 2008. Her interest in painting commenced with her enrollment and subsequent graduation from the American Academy of Art in Chicago. While there she studied with the nationally known watercolorist Irving Shapiro. She is a Signature Member of the Illinois Watercolor society, Florida Watercolor Society and the Tallahassee Watercolor Society.


Her style of panting includes traditional style, fractured style, and doodling. Her "doodles" are always a work in progress-never knowing what her creativity will bring to her finished product. She is delighted by commentators stating her work is exciting and always original. 


The artist often teaches in our studio and her original works are on exhibit here as well. Her work on the right is an example of fractured style. A style developed to intentionally break up the flow of color.  She has a unique skill and creative approach to her work and has mastered working with watercolor.


 Dana Daydodge multi artist | Facebook 

 Irving Shapiro Library - The American Academy of Art College (aaart.edu) 


2023 6th annual winter art show winners

Standing Tall

Florida Scrub Jay

Standing Tall

 Best of Show, Susan Robinson, textile quilting   

Downhome

Florida Scrub Jay

Standing Tall

 1st place, David Harrell

Florida Scrub Jay

Florida Scrub Jay

Hanging With My Brothers

 2nd Place, Sam Ashenbrenner

Hanging With My Brothers

Hanging With My Brothers

Hanging With My Brothers

 3rd place, Louise Taylor
 

Fishing With Dad

Hanging With My Brothers

Fishing With Dad

 Honorable Mention, Terry Smith
 

Limpkin's Home

Hanging With My Brothers

Fishing With Dad

 People’s Choice Winner, Ginger Godfrey  

 January 9 thru Feb 24, 2023

 Downhome Florida

We want to thank Citizens Bank and the Maxcy Foundation for sponsoring this show and we’re especially thankful to the memory of Patricia Maxcy Wilson whose dream of a local facility for artists grew into this reality.

 

What a great night of celebrating Downhome Florida Art. 

A first time member award for an outstanding artist who’s been an inspiration to all and dedicated to sharing their talents to those who want to grow their art skills. Congratulations to Robert “Mac” MacMillan for sharing your passion of art with all of us and making our world a better place. 


Thank you to Sally Morrisson for sharing Zora Neale Hurston folk lore story on Butterflies. A shout out to our helpers Pixi Kehoe and Lorraine and to the Passing Through duo for their wonderful music. Thank you all for coming out and supporting Florida Wildflower Studios. 


Next year’s theme is “Florida Byways “ so get off the beaten path and become inspired to create. Chip and I believe in preserving Florida’s flora, fauna and history through the arts. We invite and encourage folks to look around this beautiful place and translate their emotions into art. 


SHOW JUDGE

We are honored to have Florida Native and Winter Haven Award-Winning Artist Marilyn Rackleman as judge for this fun and meaningful show. Her artwork is mixed media sculpture: clay, wood, metal, and found natural materials.
Also, it reflects love and fascination with nature and the natural world.


She often channels her Florida roots as a base of many subjects on the birds and animals that live around her. Through these creations she tells stories about human journey and foster an appreciation for our natural environment. 


View her artwork here


ARTIST BIO

"I grew up in Central Florida and have been creating art for as long as I can remember. Growing up in rural Florida in the 50’s and 60’s was a joy. There were wooded areas all around me, foxes and bobcats wandered in our backyard at night. I could stay outside for hours, exploring, gathering, and creating masterpieces of twigs, leaves, moss, dirt and flowers.


An avid reader and animal lover as a child, I was fascinated early on with the magic of fables & fairytales and the cautionary stories where humans and animals interacted or transformed. 


I graduated from the University of Florida in 1975, with a degree in Art Education. I worked for a few years as a sculptor for the then emerging EPCOT. Then I began my Visual Arts high school teaching career in the public school system, hopefully passing on my love of creating to teenagers, including drawing, painting, sculpture, fiber, photography, and AP courses.

It was often much like herding cats…..but also wonderful.


Raising two kids and teaching High Schoolers didn’t allow a lot of extra time to explore my own artwork, but I managed to do it anyway. “Honestly, being a teacher has made me a better artist…being an artist made me a better teacher.” Being open to experimentation, creative brainstorming, working thru failures--all are important for art students and artists alike."


Marilyn uses stoneware clay to sculpt her figures, and often includes copper, wood, bone, and other found materials. She merges human and animal forms or animal and plant forms to create her own realistic seeming but not of this world characters. “I have loved clay forever. I love its flexibility and its ability to pick up texture. I devote a lot of attention to surface treatment on my pieces, actual impressed texture or imagined, and clay is perfect for this.” Color is added using glazes and acrylic inks. 


Marilyn’s work has been exhibited both in gallery shows and in outdoor art festivals and is in various private collections around the country. Over time, her work has gone from 3D work to 2D and currently, back to 3D … but has continued to focus on creatures, the natural world and the magic to be found around us.


Marilyn lives in Winter Haven, Florida, where she has her studio, on tiny Lake Lucerne, with her four feline judges and her exuberant dog, Dixie.


ARTIST STATEMENT

My greatest inspiration, since childhood, has been the natural world.

I was lucky and had a lot of natural space around me growing up.

Nature can be beautiful, it can be mysterious, fierce, sometimes deadly, but mostly it’s so alive. I love exploring ways I can merge human and animal characteristics, animal and plant forms, rearranging natural elements and body parts a bit to create something totally new. My work perhaps first appears realistic but definitely is not of this world. It’s been labeled both charming and scary, and that works for me. The fables I was hooked on as a kid had their influence!

Some of my pieces are emotional and reflect my own memories and feelings, using animals as the storytellers. Other works are my attempt to show the interconnections between us and our environment, and the need to appreciate and respect those.

I have always been an artist because I have always loved making things. It is my way to be a storyteller.



 


mARILYNL rACKLEMEN gALLERLY

    The Big Show of Miniatures

    May 1 through June 30, 2023


    Here's your chance to exhibit your miniatures in the FUN free-entry exhibit. Image size shall be no larger than 5"x5". All art must be original. Drop off your entries the week of May 1st and pick up by June 3. 




    Winter Art show & competition 2022 -Capture Florida

     Robert MacMillan  received Second- Place for his  "Peaceful River" in acrylic 

     Vicki Alley received  First- Place  for  her "Florida Panther" in color pencil 

    Faith Manner received 1st Place Youth Category for her "Star Wars in the Scrub", in watercolor. 

      

    Louise Taylor received 2nd  Place Youth Category for her "Florida's Natural", paper sculpture

     Wayne Chunat received Best of Show  for his "Summer Resident" in acrylic. 

    Lorraine Goldberg received Honorable Mention for her "Florida Central, photograph. 

    Show More

    Call us at 863-206-9691 or 863-855-8525      Copyright © 2022 Florida Wildflower Studios - All Rights Reserved.


    Powered by