Florida Orange Shop, Collecting by Subject

The Orange Shop
14x18 inches
oil on Masonite Panel
Unframed
900.00
See my paintings HERE


One of my favorite old time places to visit is the Florida Orange Shop in Citra, Florida.

The Orange Shop
PO Box 125
Citra, Florida 32113-0125
Phone: 1-800-672-6439
Fax: 1-800-345-6888
info@floridaorangeshop.com

This is a wonderful place. It has all the great tourist stuff that you found years ago all over the state. it is completely authentic with the original building in wonderful condition. It is owned by Pete and Cindy Spyke. The shop has fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice for sale each day and that alone is worth going for! I try to go over at least twice a year. I subscribe to their newsletter. Their fruit is fantastic and always fresh. You will be treated to a warm welcome when you visit this part of the living history of North Florida.

Collecting by Subject

It's really fun to build an art collection around a particular subject instead of a more general collection like still life, portraits or landscapes. If you have a fondness for Orchids, or vintage Mustang Convertibles, or Palm Trees, it's a great way to collect a number of different styles and artists. You will still retain harmony and consistency of subject while creating a very diverse collection. It will generate much interest and attention from guests who visit your home or office.

Another way to do a subject collection is to purchase a series of paintings by one artist who delves deeply into a subject, exploring it with many paintings over time. This is the kind of collection which shows well in groupings through our home or in large facilities like corporate buildings or offices.



This week's Make an Offer painting. Current High Offer: 55.00 email lindablondheim@gmail to make offer. Put OFFER in the subject line.

Florida's Cattle Ranches, I'm a Florida Cracker

Produce at the Wood Swink Store
8x10 inches
oil on panel
"MAKE AN OFFER"

This week's Make an Offer painting was done during the Heart of Florida Paint out earlier this year. It was cold outside so a group of us set up our easels in the store to paint Freddie's produce. It was a wonderful experience for all of us.

Offers for the painting must be at least 10.00 and you must pay a 4.00 shipping fee and .0625% Florida sales tax if you are a Florida resident. Send offers to lindablondheim@gmail.com an put OFFER in the subject line.

Current High Offer on the above painting is $55.00.




Here is my latest Florida Farms and Ranches painting.

Palms at Florida Cattle Ranch
20x24 inches
oil on Birch Panel
Wired and ready to hang, unframed.
1600.00
shipping 95.00 or pick up at my studio.
Purchase HERE

Many people think that cattle ranches always look like Montana or Colorado. Here in Florida, we have a variety of flora and fauna on our ranches. North central Florida has stately old Live Oaks with Spanish Moss dripping off them and rolling hills. In south Florida, there are vast cattle ranches with tall graceful exotic palms and tall grasses instead. In North West Florida there are majestic old pines in the landscape. All of these ranches are beautiful and exciting to me and I'd love to be able to paint them all. If you own a cattle ranch or horse farm in Florida, or know of one that the owners would allow me to paint and photograph, please email me at: lindablondheim@gmail.com

I'm a real Florida Cracker. There aren't so many of us left these days. I was born in Gainesville and grew up there. My Mother's people are from the White Springs and Lake City area. In fact, my ancestors came to Lake City in a covered wagon, long ago. They established a little community called Falling Creek and built a church there, which is still used once a month today. An itinerant Pastor comes for the service. The graveyard has the graves of Confederate soldiers who were killed in the battle of Olusti near Lake City. They used to have reenactments of the battle and I imagine they still do. The family still owns the old home, which was a Cracker house with a dog trot between the kitchen and the rest of the house.

My mother was born in White Springs Florida, a very interesting old town adjacent to the Stephen Foster State Park on the Suwanee River. Her grandparents owned a store and a boarding house. I have painted in that park many times and at one time did demonstrations there.

It is well worth the drive to visit the beautiful park and see the old town, an artist community of sorts.

The Wood Swink and Wood Farm

The Wood Farm
12x16 inches
oil on panel
framed
800.00
shipping 50.00
Purchase HERE

The Wood Swink Post Office is the oldest working post office in Florida. It is an icon for this part of Florida and we landscape painters know it well. It is a combination antique store, post office, and produce market. It is a complete step back in time. The center of the store has a wonderful old wood stove. Chairs are grouped around it, and a checker board is strategically located where anyone can start a game. There is one of the old large metal drink boxes in front. I always have to buy a drink so I can use it. Visitors from around the world stop to post letters there and to enjoy the camaraderie they find there. It is like a second home to me. I paint there in the back from time to time and at any time I will see other painters because we all love it so much. Wilma Sue and Freddie allow their artist friends to show small paintings there and I enjoy a sale now and then. This is not one of those fake tourist stores, or a museum. It is a real step back in time, a working country store from the 1800's.



The store and post office is run by Wilma Sue Wood and her friend Deb. Freddie Wood, Wilma Sue's husband, is a farmer in the little town of Evinston where the post office is located.




Freddie's farm is prime painting territory for me and the other lucky artists who know him. Freddie grows lush crops of vegetables, including squash, collards, field peas, broccoli,tomatoes, and many other yummy vegetables. All these are available year round in the store. Freddie raises fat happy cattle on the farm. The farm is beautiful beyond description, with tall graceful palms and giant Live Oak trees, which border Orange Lake. In the afternoon, the views are simply stunning, with the golden light and long purple shadows. This is a place above all others I am fortunate to paint. I have free access to all parts of the farm and can wander to my heart's content. It is magical and sacred for me. A part of the history and legend of north Florida.



There is a story that Mr Wood killed Mr Swink in a gun fight out in front of the store over a woman in the 1800's and that is how the store became the property of the Wood family. To this day it is still called the Wood Swink.

I have a mission and dream to turn Evinston into an art destination. Freddie has an old very large packing house next to the store which would make a wonderful art center/gallery. He has an old shack on the farm which could be made into a nice cabin for painters to stay in and use for workshops. I keep hoping that a cultural private foundation or private donor will come forward to help. This old historical town needs to be saved and made into a wonderful destination for art lovers and painters.

You will find the Wood Swink Post Office on County Road 225 which runs parallel to US 441 beteen the little towns of Micanopy and McIntosh, Florida. Traveling south from Gainesville on US 441 go past Micanopy about 5 miles and you will see a green sign for Evinston, Turn left there and the road will dead end at CR 225. Turn left on 225 and go about a block to see the store on the left. You can't miss it!! They close for lunch from 12-2 PM M-F Open Saturday AM, closed Sunday. If you go, tell them that Linda Blondheim sent you and be sure to look at my paintings in the store.