Beautiful Weather Greets Artists for Wet Paint Event

Beautiful weather greeted sixteen Marco area artists who blanketed the island with canvases to create en plein air paintings of Marco Island for the 13th annual Wet Paint event. 

For the first time, the event spanned two days—March 10th to March 11th. The painters had from 9 AM – 3 PM to create their paintings, while curious onlookers visited with them and asked questions. 

What started as blank canvases at 9 AM became beautiful works of art by 3 p.m. On March 11th, at the Marco Island Historical Museum’s Rose Auditorium, the paintings were auctioned to participants who enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner and drinks. 

The artists were concerned that the Corona Virus had thinned the crowd of bidders and predicted that those in attendance were going to “really get some bargains” because of the smaller turnout. 

The painters all seemed to enjoy the exercise—even those who normally do not paint en plein air—which basically means in the open air. 

Well-known area artist Jarrett Stinchcomb was one of those artists. Stinchcomb picked the Boathouse Motel as his open-air location. “I’ve been wanting to paint down here,” he said. “The location is amazing. The view is beautiful. You have the water, the sky, the boats going by. It’s a good event. I’m not usually one to paint this fast, you know, wet-on-wet. But it’s something different. It kind of gets you out of your comfort zone. You get to meet some new people. This is the only time I paint en plein air is for this event. 

“I love South Beach. That’s my place. I grew up going down there. I still go down there at least once a week and paddleboard. It’s just that spot I can go and hit the reset button. Recharge the batteries. There’s a lot going on out there. 

“I was born and raised on the island,” Stinchcomb continued. “I’ve been painting for 17 years. Mostly commissioned pieces, mostly landscapes, portraits, murals. Pretty much anything to do with Southwest Florida Tropical. I love water and all the shadows. I like to play on light and have fun with it. I’m self-taught. Just kind of learned by teaching myself.”  

JoAnn Sanborn chose the Esplanade for her painting. Unlike Stinchcomb, en plein air is her preferred way to paint.  

“This is what I do,” spoke Sanborn of the technique. “I’ve been painting out in the Everglades for 25 years. I usually start a painting out there and finish it in the studio. It’s a wonderful environment. To think that in twenty minutes we can be in wilderness, it’s pretty special.” 

Popular artist Tara O’Neill chose to paint in the front yard of her new home on Goodland. Her home was replaced after Hurricane Irma destroyed its predecessor. Goodland has become an artist’s enclave over the years. In years past, Goodland was mainly a fishing village. 

“I used to always do the Wet Paint on Goodland,” stated O’Neill. “I painted at the Little Bar, this marina, that marina. The boat park, the Pear Tree park. I used to be the only one. Then another lady started. The last time I painted in the park there were seven other people. I said, ‘You know what, I’ll paint in my front yard.’ So, I’m the only one this year! It’s weird. Where did everybody go?” 

O’Neill figures there are dozens of amateur artists on Goodland. “There are so many creative people on Goodland in so many ways,” she said. “But I would say that there are at least a dozen professional artists on Goodland. 

“I’ve done every Wet Paint. I believe it’s the 13th—my lucky number. Not only was I born on the 13th, I was born on Friday the 13th.”  

“Tonight we auction the paintings off,” said Donna Niemczyk, the event organizer. “Everyone seemed to enjoy it. The paintings we got back this year were awesome. They’re all beautiful. Everyone we talked to was excited. The majority of the painters have participated every year. And this year we have three new painters who participated for the first time. A young lady, Brenda Perez, who’s in college, is participating for the second time.  

The auction can be a nervous time for the artists, regardless of their experience. Sanborn said she gets nervous every year. 

“Even after 25 years,” Sanborn remarked, “until a hand goes up, I’m dead to the world. My heart is at my feet. I’m holding my breath—because it’s so scary! And it’s so public. If nobody bids on your painting everybody knows!” 

The good news is that Sanborn and all of the other artists received multiple bids on their paintings, though the prices were lower than usual, likely due to the Corona Virus scare. 

Money raised goes to the Chamber of Commerce and scholarships.