The River 
Artistic Expression
Artistic Expression Artistic Inspiration
-
The St. Johns River seems to flow more outward than onward. Unrestrained by clearly defined boundaries, it inches almost imperceptibly northward for more than 300 miles from south of Melbourne to the port of Jacksonville. The river's banks are strewn with memories-eroded mounds, crumbling ruins, the ghosts of people and places that have come and gone. Artists have been drawn to this enigmatic watery maze for centuries. Maybe it's the magic of reflected light. Or perhaps it's the alchemical challenge of trying to capture the essence of that line between water and land, between solid and liquid-the place where opposites meet and mingle. For generations of writers, painters, poets and musicians, the St. Johns River has been a liquid Muse that has brought from the sunless sea of the creative unconscious a stream of masterpieces that move us still today.
Timucuan Art
As the earliest people to experience the river, the importance of the river is reflected in the curvilinear decorations on their pottery and in their sculptures of creatures of the river, such as owls and otters.Explorers
- Jacques LeMoyne
Jacques LeMoyne was a French artist who came to Florida in 1564. As one of the first artists to visit the New World, LeMoyne traveled through northern Florida and charted much of the coastline and recorded the lifestyle of the Timucuan Indians. LeMoyne's drawings were engraved by Theodore DeBry, who published a book of the engravings in 1591. This book allowed Europeans to have their first glimpses of North America. 
Edward King
An early writer and explorer, King described much of the Southeaster United States in his 1875 book, "The Great South The Great South; A Record of Journeys in Louisiana, Texas, the Indian Territory, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland." In it, he claimed that the St. Johns River, "afforded glimpses of perfect beauty...The very irregularity is delightful, the decay is charming, the solitude is picturesque."
(Illustrations - (c) This work is the property of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It may be used freely by individuals for research, teaching and personal use as long as this statement of availability is included in the text.)Writers
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Born in 1811, Harriet Beecher Stowe was an abolitionist and a writer. In the 1860s, Stowe built a home in Mandarin, Florida where she began to spend her winters. Her book "Palmetto Leaves" describes her life along the St. Johns River. In this book, she describes the St. Johns River in loving terms:
"The entrance of the St. Johns River from the ocean is one of the most significant and impressive passages of scenery that we ever passed through."
"On this great, beautiful river you go drifting like a feather or a cloud; while the green, fragrant shores form a constantly-varying picture as you pass."
"The St. Johns is the grand water-highway through some of the most beautiful portions of Florida, and tourists, safely at ease on the decks of steamers, can penetrate into the mysteries and wonders of unbroken tropical forest."- Sidney Lanier
An American writer and poet born in 1842. Visiting Florida from Georgia in 1875, he called the St. Johns River "...the sweetest water-lane in the world." Lanier described Florida in his book "Florida: its scenery, climate, and history." The book is an early travel guide of the river, describing the ports, towns, steamboat routes, and hotels along the river. - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, was born in1896. In 1928 she moved to an orange grove at Cross Creek, so named for its location between Orange Lake and Lochloosa Lake. Her books "South Moon Under" and "Cross Creek" draw from the remote and wild surroundings and the culture of her neighbors, the Florida Crackers. 
Bill Belleville
Author of "River of Lakes: A Journey on Florida's St. Johns River," Belleville has described the river as "...a river infinite potential, a place to indulge myths, to evoke shards of timeless magic to search for the natural realities that are sublime instead of merely virtual and safe."
http://www.billbelleville.com
Artists
- Winslow Homer
Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1836, Winslow Homer was spent many of his winters in Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba. While in these tropical places, he painted mostly his surroundings, mostly in watercolors.
- John Bunyan Bristol
Bristol was born in Hillsdale, New York, in 1826. Later in his career Bristol turned his attention from human figures to landscapes and nature images.
- Thomas Moran
Best known for his paintings of Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, Moran was also inspired by the stunning landscapes of the St. Johns River. - William Morris Hunt
Originally from Vermont, Hunt studied art in Europe. Upon returning to North America, Hunt focused his attention on landscapes, including the Florida landscape.
Contemporary Artists
- Thom Buttner
"There's a special beauty unique to Florida that I understood even as a child. When I moved away, I craved it and I knew I had to move back and paint it, especially the clouds; they are unlike anywhere else." For more information about the artist, please see: http://www.thombuttnerfineart.com - Allison Watson
"I am an environmental painter, specializing in north Florida landscapes. Many of my paintings are of the river." As a lifelong resident of Florida and self-described environmentalist, Watson paints from photographs she takes while kayaking and hiking in Florida. For more information, please see:
http://www.allisonwatson.com - Jim Draper
Draper’s work is found in collections nationwide and internationally. He has won national acclaim for his "healing palms" series that are designed to soothe the spirit. Draper was the featured artist for the 2006 Oyster Roast. For more information, please see:
http://www.draperstudios.net
Photographers
Musicians
- Fredrick Delius
Delius was born in England in 1862. Delius lived at Solano Grove, and orange plantation on the St. Johns River from 1884-1885. While there, the river inspired him to compose "The Florida Suite." The suite is in four movements: Daybreak - Dance, By the river, and Sunset - near the plantation. - Eli Grimes
Eli lives on the St. Johns River near Picalota. He was inspired to write “Phantom Ferry of the St. Johns” after a visit from the "Green Monster". This song is about saving the St. Johns River. You can hear the song online at http://www.eligrimes.com Children's Art
- The St. Johns River
(Poem by Rey Arcenas, 2nd Grade, West Riverside Elementary)
How amazing the creatures that we have
From the skies and heavens above
Down to the vast lands and rivers that flow
To the seas and oceans where fishes grow.
St. Johns River, to you my eyes glow
In astonishment wherever I go
I haven’t seen such river so big and wide
Which is every Jacksonville resident’s pride.
The waters are steady and waves sometimes show
Swans swim and birds love to go
Kids and adults would sometimes do
Watching speedboats and ships pass through.
I encourage everyone to strive
Keep this treasure clean and alive
Free from wastes and junks of any kind.
Let us keep this in our mind!
Lily Sutton, age 5
Jordan Sutton, age 10
