St. Augustine, Florida, is my favorite city. I visit there two or three times a year. As Florida’s oldest city it has a fascinating history dating from the 1500s. It began as a Spanish settlement, and some of the original Colonial architecture remains. Henry Flagler, the oil magnate, had a vision to make the city a European-inspired haven for winter tourists and vacationers. His business partner, J.D. Rockefeller, joined in to help fund the venture. Many artists of the late 1800s visited or lived there. One of my favorite artists, Martin Johnson Heade, had a home and studio there. Heade was a pretty savvy artist. He knew the city would attract a lot of wealthy art patrons, and he could entertain them in his home.
It’s hard to beat the sunsets on the Gulf Coast, but the sunrise in St. Augustine on the Atlantic side is close. If you are up early enough, you can see pink and yellow skies and turquoise waves. Occasionally a black-tipped shark will appear near the shore, near enough to keep me out of the water. I’m not sure I could ever capture the light in these with paint. It’s fun trying, though.
