Our Area > 20th Annual Jubilee Festival

Photo (from left); Sally Wagner, co-chair of the 20th Annual Jubilee Festival; Susan Godwin, artist of the official artwork shown; and Barbara Ladnier, co-chair of the festival.

DAPHNE, AL, August 18, 2008 - - The planning committee for the 20th Annual Jubilee Festival has selected the official artwork for this year’s festival, which is an Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce event. Scheduled for September 27 and 28, 2008, the festival is held on the Main Street in Olde Towne Daphne in front of City Hall.

Susan Godwin produced the abstract expressionistic painting depicting sail boats moored in a marina located on Mobile Bay. Chosen for its bold, vivid colors, the oil painting was created using only a pallet knife. According to Godwin, the only time she uses a brush is to sign the finished piece.

“I was inspired by photos I took of sail boats,” said Godwin. “After studying the various pictures, my imagination took over and it sort of painted itself.”

Godwin said that she has experimented in a variety of mediums, but now paints exclusively in oils. By painting with a palette knife she strives to build depth and texture.

“I take frequent breaks to sit down and study the work in process,” she added. “Ideally, the painting will almost speak to me and I will see where to build or scrape away color. Even with a full palette prepared and a general sketch on canvas, I rarely stick to my original plan.”

Painting for Godwin is an intuitive process and an adventure. She said as the painting begins to emerge she becomes excited to find how it all ends.

“I looked at a lot of local artwork on the Internet and discovered Susan’s work,” said Sally Wagner, co-chairman of the festival. “I was very impressed with her abstract work and fell in love with her style.”

Wagner said she emailed the Web site to Barbara Ladnier, who also serves as co-chairman of the festival. She said once she saw the bright colors she was sold.

“We looked at the colors and the way she used them and we really liked the textures,” she said. “The colors just popped.”

Godwin was invited to submit artwork for the festival to the planning committee and the vote was unanimous.

A full-time artist, Godwin has been a local artist for 12 years. Originally from Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, she was an Army brat growing up and has lived is many different places including Europe and Puerto Rico. She said she began college with the intent of pursuing a career in art but was sidetracked and ended formal education with a Masters degree in counseling. After moving to Baldwin County she said art became an obsession so she left her career as a therapist to pursue painting full time. She now calls the Barnwell Community home, where she lives on Water Hole Branch with her husband of 12 years, Phil Norris. She also has a daughter, Heather Mentzer, who is 36 years old, married and lives in Fairhope.

The official artwork will be printed on all festival memorabilia, including T-shirts and posters, which will be for sale at the information booth during the two-day event.

For more information about the 20th Annual Jubilee Festival visit the Web site or call 621-8222.