Anna Maria Island

‘Offshore’ Depicts Pristine Beaches From the Water

The Studio at Gulf and Pine, in Anna Maria, is presenting “Offshore,” the latest paintings of Holmes Beach artist Maro Lorimer, from January 14 through February 3, 2011. Having previously painted intimate beach paths and expansive beaches, Lorimer now has moved her imaginary observation point out to sea for these acrylic paintings on canvas. Her abstract suggestions of unspoiled shorelines and marine wildlife are inspired by the beauty of the Gulf as well as by memories from many years of windsurfing and boating in places ranging from the Outer Banks to New Zealand.

Lorimer already had finished several of these paintings, and given them the name, “Offshore,” when the BP oil well exploded. “It was eerie to me that I had been painting pristine beaches right before our beaches were so threatened by the spreading oil,” Lorimer explains. “I continued painting, with increased appreciation of unspoiled places, which we might have taken more for granted in the past. Every time I saw a sea bird or dolphin last summer, I worried about it, afraid we might lose it if the oil came this far.”

Many of Maro Lorimer’s paintings can be seen in more than one way, and it’s not unusual for the titles to have multiple meanings. She points out that the title of the four-foot-long horizontal painting “The Last Bird” has at least three meanings. In the first sense, the painting comes from the experience of watching large numbers of birds fly north at the end of the day, off the shore of Anna Maria Island. After a flock has passed by, Lorimer says sometimes there is a single straggler, the last bird, flying alone, trying to catch up.

A second, more personal, meaning of the title relates to Lorimer’s painting process in arriving at the final image. This particular canvas originally was filled with white birds, but she eventually decided to eliminate all but one.

The third meaning gets back to Lorimer’s concerns while the BP oil was still uncontrolled. In this regard, “The Last Bird” touches on the haunting possibility of the extinction of species through such disasters.

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An Artistic July 4th Celebration

What better way to celebrate summer’s biggest holiday than with art depicting the beaches of this beautiful island.

Anna Maria Island is a picture-perfect place to spend holidays such as the July 4th weekend. It’s a wonderful family vacation spot, and therefore a great place for family reunions. Even a week before the July 4th weekend, there was an obvious increase in families on the beach. Some of them were dressed in matching outfits, such as white shirts and denim bottoms, as they posed for photos. Now, in addition to personal photos, there is a wonderful offering of island art at the Studio at Gulf and Pine, this July 4.

The three cities of the island, Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and Anna Maria, offer plenty of traditional family fun during all holidays, including July 4. Festivals, fireworks, fishing, parades, ice cream, hot dogs and picnicking at the beach are enjoyed year-round on this wonderful island. July 4 is no exception.

Now there is one more delightful choice for the 4^th: an art reception and picnic at former Florida first lady Rhea Chiles’s Studio at Gulf and Pine. This spacious and elegant art gallery has hosted many well-attended events in the past year. From the Sun Coast Watercolor Society’s excellent show last winter to the Florida Highwaymen’s exhibit in spring, to special showings of the work of well-known locals such as architect Gene Aubry and artist Richard Thomas, the Studio has gained the attention of the local art world with its very successful shows.

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