The Saunders Collection: Natural Lands of Florida - Artwork Commission Reveal for 2010

Appreciating the rare natural Florida landscape, Dean Saunders pursues ways to capture and conserve the state’s natural beauty. Dean is a sixth-generation Floridian who knows that the natural Florida landscape he enjoyed as a young man is a precious commodity for our future generations.

Throughout his career, he has guided many landowners through the complexities of land transactions and the conservation easement process. This effort is what brought him to the idea of capturing the natural beauty of Florida land through the authentic landscape paintings of well-known naturalist and landscape artist, Thomas Brooks.

Each year, a Florida location is selected by Dean to be painted by the artist. The commissioning culminates at a CBCSRE corporate event each year, where Thomas Brooks displays the completed and framed composition for the current year and the beginning works of the newly commissioned scene for the next year.

The 2010 artwork commission is called “Iron Head Landings.” It joins five other commissioned paintings in the growing collection.

The Saunders Collection: Natural Lands of Florida is a unique collection of commissioned paintings of “old Florida” landscapes and many are displayed in the Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate (CBCSRE) offices in Lakeland, FL.

For more information on The Saunders Collection: Natural Lands of Florida, contact Dean Saunders, CCIM, ALC at 863-648-1528.

Commissioned Painting “Peace River Woodies” by Famed Nature Artist, Thomas Brooks Unveiled

The 5th annual CBCSRE BBQ gathered over 200 clients, friends, media, and local and state officials for the unveiling of this special, commissioned painting. The fifth painting in the commissioned series, Peace River Woodies, was presented and guests were treated to a peek at the in-progress 2010 commissioned painting. The 2009 painting, created by naturalist artist Thomas Brooks (www.thomasbrooks.com), joins four other Brooks' paintings in the collection. “As a 6th-generation Floridian, I appreciate the beauty of the land and have worked with Florida land for decades, either with conservation legislative work or in real estate. It is important to capture those images to share the natural beauty of our State with others.”

Brooks’ work is recognized nationally and is selected, among other commissions, by the Florida National Wild Turkey Federation to create a five-year series of paintings for the sponsor Print of the Year from 2007–2011. Thomas was chosen to exhibit as the featured artist at the 2009 Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, South Carolina, as well as to create the Florida Christmas ornament for the White House tree in 2009. The works of Thomas Brooks appear in many corporate, public, and private collections, and in many publications.

State and local officials attending were:
• Grady Judd, Polk County Sheriff
• Ed Smith, Polk County Commission
• Randy Wilkinson, Polk County Commission
• Sam Johnson, Polk County Commission, Representative
• James Clements, Bartow City Commission, Former Mayor of Bartow
• Jean Reed, Polk County Commission
• Sally Myers, School Board
• Kelli Stargel, Florida House of Representatives, represented by Rachel Barnes