And speaking of residencies... following up with material generated at The Studios of Key West

So, it's been a year since I attended The Studios of Key West as an artist in residence. I realize some time has passed, but a whole year?

The Studios of Key West van

Once I got home it as super-hard to ft back into my life here. I missed everything, especially the colours in the environment and the humour you can find everywhere on the streets of Key West. Very little of that around here I'm afraid. Where I live is a place of striving and seeking, trying to Make It and, well, turquoise houses, fornt porches where people actually hang out, and casual walkers just are not part of this culture.

What's really getting me is the lack of colour. So many greys, browns, tans, deep olive green, bluegreywhite, but not red, pink, lime green, not even a blue sky or the lightening effect of sunlight on the surfaces around here.

 

When it gets to me, I think of a friend of mine who upon visiting Florida once commented that the smell of Florida made her think of things rotting, festering, moldering. It made her feel happy to live in a place that, in contrast, was like a fridge, with the winter keeping things fresh and crisp until the warmer weather allowed us to open the door, figuratively and metaphorically speaking here.

I can see both sides.

What really struck me last year during my residency was all the work I did. So much great energy. So many ideas flowing. So confident. There was some magic combination that worked for me as TSKW.

Key West trash recepticle

This year I have been fighting the darkness, the lack of sun, the cold (my studio is unheated with two portable heaters) and the memory of being so productive last year. When I admit my "failure" at getting lots of work done this year, I check in with others and they too are in the same lethargic boat. It's winter, in Canada. Give yourself a break they say....

I guess that I am over the worst of this lull. I assembled my final composition representing the month of working in Key west. I have begun several other projects that came from this time there and I am ready to complete that and have it move me into new work.