| Welcome to the
Friends
of the Island Parks website.
Friends of the Island Parks is a CSO (Citizens Support Organization). Florida
Park Service CSOs are volunteer organizations that sponsor events, raise
funds, and support the goals of the parks. The Friends of the Island Parks
CSO's main focus is the support of Caladesi Island State Park and Honeymoon
Island State Park.
Honeymoon and Caladesi Islands
are rare, natural barrier islands that are basically undeveloped. Visitors
have the opportunity to enjoy a taste of Florida's original coast, to see
many types of wildlife that depend on these ecosystems and to learn about
this environment that needs to be protected.
From the ospreys, owls and
eagles that make the island their year long home to the loggerhead turtles
that lay eggs on the beaches, the egrets wading in the shore grasses and
the manatees and dolphins that swim in the surrounding waters, we can all
appreciate and celebrate this natural environment together.
We
join the Egmont
Key Alliance and the Friends
of Anclote Key in supporting our Island parks.
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Past Exhibitors
Karl and
Kathleen Nichter
Robert LaFollette
Photography
Earnest Simmons
Florida Wildlife Art
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Current
Exhibit at the
Rotary Centennial
Nature Center
Watercolor Artist
Gene Rizzo
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Coming this Fall
John Costin
Colored Etchings
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Gene Rizzo, Watercolorist 
Gene Rizzo and his wife, Norma moved to Tierra Verde, Fl. from Houma,
Louisiana in May of 1986. It wasn’t until Gene battled cancer 14 years
ago that he discovered his talent and passion for watercolor art.
As an architect, formerly the School Board Architect for Pinellas County
Schools, perspective sketching was almost an everyday occurrence.
In his youth, he enjoyed sketching seascapes, swamps and the natural and
picturesque beauty of south Louisiana. Gene never dreamed that what started
out as “mental therapy” from cancer surgery would turn into such a wonderful
and rewarding full-time career as a watercolorist.
As a student at the LSU School of Architecture and Fine Arts, Gene
had the opportunity to take a semester workshop with famed watercolorist
Edgar Whitney. It was there that Gene learned the basics of painting
with water colors, but once he launched his career as an architect, he
never touched a paint brush, that is, until late 1997 while recovering
from cancer surgery and after Norma consistently encouraged him to begin
painting, feeling it would occupy his mind and bring him happiness.
After much practice, he developed his own style of artistic watercolor
techniques and began to produce the nautical, seascape and architectural
images you see today. For the fun of it, in the spring of 2000,
Gene decided to exhibit at a small, local art festival with his paintings.
They sold completely out and a watercolorist's career had begun.
Since then, Gene, who has now become an acclaimed watercolorist, has
exhibited in many juried Fine Art Festivals in Florida, Louisiana and Georgia,
and has won many artistic awards along the way. His art can be found
in many private and corporate collections throughout the United States,
Canada, Europe, South America as well as other foreign countries.
Locally you can find his paintings at Gene's studio, several local art
galleries and at some of the area's fine furniture stores.
Gene and Norma now exhibit in ten juried, fine art festivals a year,
spend a lot of their time enjoying their family, especially their grandson,
Joey and also do some traveling throughout mostly the US and Canada.
“I fell in love with watercolor painting and my art became my
passion; I have been truly blessed.”
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