And at night : Day 3 in Key West

This morning was spent mulling over images, sorting through what I have, what I like, what may work better, picking and choosing which ones I'll try to print. I think I spent 3 hours lost in creativity. Deeply involved in my artwork. I haven't had such an uninterrupted stretch of extended creative flow in over a year. Not since I moved or really, got ready to move. This time last year I was in the thick of that. It's good that's behind me.

Highlights today included feeding a hawk a (frozen) mouse at the Key West Wildlife Center. This is a non-profit bird sanctuary where they rehabilitate and house birds who can no longer survive in the wild. Residents include Charlie the golden chicken who will stand on a round white ball and use it like a log roller rolls a log. Others include several pelicans who have lost their top bills, either completely or in part, due to encounters with fish hooks. They can never go back into the wild.

Unfortunately for me, I brought my camera, but forgot my memory card. Then I had my new flip camera to take video and when I thought it was recording it wasn't, and when I thought it was off, it was on, so I have almost nothing of my time spent there, but a lot of video of the inside of my pocket.


Tonight I decided to go for a walk to get a local paper, The Citizen, and I found 50 cents US and got my stuff and went around the corner to the box and when I got there I reached into my pocket and I didn't have the change. I left it on the bed. I'm a mess today.

The Studios of Key West lit up for a blues concert inside.
The newspaper box is to the left of the building

Yesterday, while engrossed in looking at fences and fence materials and patterns, my feet got tripped up in my linen pants and I went crashing to the ground. I survived. The camera survived. My knee is very very black and blue and it's just another sign that I am not really recovered yet from the build up of getting here, to the being here, to the settling in here. Almost, but not yet.

Saw these amazing shadows cast by the High Road sculpture in the Studios sideyard as I went back for my 50 cents.



You'd think it would be easy to just make art and nothing else. I think it's like leaving your big city job for a vacation in the country. Slowing down takes a bit of time. I don't even know what my natural rhythm is anymore. I used to love to work very early, waking at 4am, going until 7am then back to bed until 10 or 11 then up for a normal day, in bed for the night around 11pm. So far, I have not fallen asleep until 2am for the last 3 nights.

The Oyster Opener Co. attended the concert it seems... that's a very specialized niche

Festive palms along my route

This place, 5 Brothers, has been recommended to me by everyone.
I can't believe I just found it.
Tomorrow I am getting a cafe con leche grande! And maybe a Grouper sandwich.

moonlight palms

And with all the distractions in this town, and there are plenty, its tough to stay focused, harder still when you are just settling down. But really, this whole process is very very interesting. This is just such an easy place to do something like this in. People here cannot do enough for you and they are so friendly and outgoing. It's like everyone is interested in your work and, wow, who doesnt love that?!