By Peggy Harell Jennings
It’s not unusual to see the First Coast Plein Air Painters out and about at Walter Jones Park and at historic homes in the area. Loaded with easels, chairs, paints, brushes, sunscreen and talent, the group visits sites all over the First Coast to capture the beauty and history of each area, and a favorite is historic Mandarin.
The group’s recent paint out produced fresh views of the barn, the 1875 Webb-Jones Farmhouse, the school, the Harriet Beecher Stowe sculpture by renowned artist Brenda Councill, the Mandarin Post Office and, a favorite of the artists, the 1880 Brown House on Mandarin Road. Owners Ashly and Stephen Unkelbach welcomed the group on several occasions to capture the beautiful historic home with their artistic skills.
The result? A fabulous exhibit, “Vestiges of Historic Mandarin,” at the Mandarin Museum, which runs through Oct. 27. Brittany Cohill, director of the museum, was on hand as Stephen Dunn, president of FCPAP, handed out the first-place award to Chriss Flagg for his painting of the Brown Residence, second place to Carron Wedlund, third to Emma Simms, and honorable mention to Gary Garrett and Sheryl Roach. The artwork captures the present-day beauty of the natural surroundings and buildings and echoes “vestiges” of the past.
