St. Augustine artist and author Rosamond Parrish released her second book, St. Augustine a Sketchbook: An Artist’s View of Our Nation’s Oldest City in fall 2020 during the pandemic. The book features watercolors of St. Augustine locations, along with a narrative about her paintings and the history of the nation’s oldest city. Her first book, “Lincolnville, A Sketchbook Journal of St. Augustine’s Historic Neighborhood,” gained the attention of The New York Times and national travel magazines.

An excerpt from the new book by the author, “Artists rhapsodize over the light in the South of France or Santorini, but for me, the morning light in St. Augustine is like no other. I reflect as I take it all in, on how lucky I am to live in such an exceptionally beautiful town.”

A book signing will be from 5 to 7:30 PM on Friday, June 4 during First Friday Art Walk at the St. Augustine Art Association, 22 Marine Street, downtown St. Augustine. Meet the artist, purchase a book, and have it autographed.

St. Augustine a sketchbook: An Artist’s View of Our Nation’s Oldest City is also available on Amazon.

The book cover shows the back of the Menendez statue facing the Moorish spires of Flagler College, created from a photo that Parrish took to create the art.

“It’s fitting that Menendez is gazing on them and that’s why I chose that illustration for the cover...to emphasize the history, along with the beauty, of our town,” Parrish explained.

Artwork of other architectural marvels includes Memorial Presbyterian Church, Lightner Museum, the Cathedral Basilica, and Fort Matanzas. Also within the book, watercolors include the Bridge of Lions, the Aviles Street entrance with arch, the gazebo in the Plaza de la Constitucion with the Cathedral as the backdrop, the Ximenez-Fatio House Museum on Aviles Street, and Roosevelt Upshaw, a beloved carriage driver, and his Belgian draft horse, Rufus.

Other scenes show the Hamblen House on the bayfront, the Castillo de San Marcos, Collage Restaurant on Hypolita Street, and statues within The Collector Luxury Inn & Gardens, formerly the Dow Museum of Historic Houses.

St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European origin in the United States, founded in 1565. Through the use of watercolor and black and white drawings and evocative, informative text, the book takes the reader on a journey through the historical neighborhoods with stops at landmarks and other points of interest. The book is an artistic celebration of the city’s famous Spanish-style architecture as well as the Mediterranean Revival and British Colonial. Beyond the famous architecture, the artist captures the personalities and wildlife of St. Augustine through her delicate work and loving eye.

Parrish is a graduate of Auburn University with post-graduate studies at the National University of Mexico, the University of Hawaii, Flagler College, and the University of North Florida. An award-winning artist and published travel writer, Rosamond is a past member of the Board of Directors and Signature Life member of the Florida Watercolor Society, and the Founder of the Jacksonville Watercolor Society. She previously served on the board of the St. Augustine Art Association.