Common Roots: A Sneak Preview

Please join me TONIGHT, May 3rd at 6:00 at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens for the Arts at Saint Johns art exhibit called: Common Roots. It is an exhibit featuring the work of thirteen arts all working in different mediums with the common theme of native plants of Florida.

When I went to drop off my paintings, Carol Hoffman-Guzman, Founding Director of Arts at St. Johns and her crew were there happily receiving all of the artists and their work.

Here they are making some last minute decisions on which paintings to choose from Julio Figueroa's, a professional botanical illustrator, work.

John Defaro, artist, was hanging his work: "Who is in the Nest?" It is an amazing piece made mostly from Royal Poinciana seed pods. I find this piece of John's work so interesting because of the way he used soft natural curves of natural elements mixed with harsh lines of the broken mirror so when we look in and see our reflection becoming part of the art... brilliant!

One of the main reasons that I like to enter my work into the Arts at St. Johns' exhibits is because everyone is so welcoming and friendly there. When people view my work, I want them to feel comfortable and at home. This is exactly how you will feel tonight if you come to the show.

Not only is the space welcoming, but you also get to wander through the garden on your way in. The garden is a beautiful oasis in the middle of urban structures and busy street traffic. Nestled in between the Miami Beach Convention Center and the Holocaust Memorial, the Miami Beach Botanical Garden is a wonderful place to visit if you haven't been there.

The paintings will be exhibited all week so, if you can't make it tonight there are plenty of opportunities to stop by.

On Saturday, the 7th from 9:00am to 12:00 noon there will be a Go Green event at the garden. They will be selling native plants (yea!) and having speakers talking about green issues and even having a workshop on how to make your own rain barrel.

Nancy Martini lives and works in Miami using her art to bring awareness to environmental issues.

Please Join Me for TWO Garden Events

The first event is Saturday, April 29 and Sunday May 1st at Fairchild Tropical Gardens at the Food & Garden Festival from 9:30am to 4:30pm

I will be at Fairchild Tropical Gardens this weekend from 9:30 to 4:30 and speaking at 1:30 on Sunday about Art as Eco Activism. I will be explaining the need to plant Milkweed in order to help the low population of Monarch Butterflies. I will have seeds for you to plant and demonstrate how to upcycle a newspaper into a small seedling pot.

Then at another garden...

Please join me Tuesday night, May 3rd from 6:00pm to 8:30pm for the Arts at Saint Johns Common Roots art exhibit at the The Miami Beach Botanical Gardens (across from the Miami Beach Convention Center).

From 6:00pm to 8:30 pm, you can see an exciting show about native plants of Florida. Thirteen artists, including myself, will be exhibiting photographs and paintings in many different mediums. The paintings I will be exhibiting are all done in encaustics (natural bees wax) which are part of my new collection exploring nature within the few miles that I walk each day called: " Behind the Fence." Through these paintings I hope to learn about the nature that surrounds our everyday life by bringing to the forefront all the overlooked inhabitants that we hurriedly pass by in our busy lives; many of which hide in sacred spaces behind guarded fences.

The painting featured above is called: "Missing Monarchs." It is an environmental call to action to inspire people to plant more Milkweed seeds to help the survival of Monarch butterflies who's larvae can only feed on this one particular plant.

The paintings will be installed Tuesday and hang throughout the week concluding with a Go Green event Saturday, May 7 from 9:00am to 12:00pm.

Two beautiful garden events back to back... Hope you can make one of them!

Nancy Martini

Artist

nancymartini.com

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