(Above: Lancet Window XIV. Approximately 28" x 8". Polyester stretch velvet, previously painted heat activated adhesive, metallic foiling, free-motion machine embroidery, melting. Click on this or any other photo in this blog post to enlarge.)
(Above: The Audubon House, Key West.)
Last Saturday I visited the Audubon House here in Key West. Audubon never actually stayed in this building. It wasn't built until over a decade after he left but it was constructed by Capt. Geiger, one of the people who entertained Audubon, gave him accommodations, and provided guides for excursion to find new specimens. Yet, he stayed in the building that pre-dated this one and used the gardens to sketch of 18 of the 22 birds he found in the Keys.
It is also a beautiful historic house which was rescued from demolition in 1958 by the Wolfsons. The renovation spear-headed the preservation movement in the area.
Over the years, Steve and I have sold dozens upon dozens of reproduction Audubon prints. (The Long billed curlew with the Charleston skyline in the background and the now extinct Carolina Parrots have always been our best sellers.) It was nice to spend time with 28 first edition prints.
The gallery/gift shop wasn't bad either. I expected the prices to be obscene but they weren't really. (Higher than I can command but still enticing for tourists looking to purchase an antique from a memorable place!) I took bunch of photos. They are HERE on Flickr or HERE for a slideshow.
The gardens were simply beautiful. I don't know much about flowers, especially orchids ... but they sure are pretty! I know my great aunt Janet, my late Grandma Lenz, and my sister Wanda would love this place! There was an exotic feel to the plant life!
Of course I'm sight-seeing ... but I am also hard at "work"! I finished another Lancet Window (first image in this post, of course!) and tomorrow I'll have more work to post. Tonight I'm hosting a "stitch & bitch" for my workshop participants. This is a chance to come together with our finished works ... after everyone had time to work in the privacy and quietness of her own home. It should be fun. In preparation for it, I, too, finished all the "demos" I had going. I generally demonstrate heat activated techniques by starting a piece or two of my own. Unbelievably, I had SEVEN in various stages of completion ... from at least the last three workshops! I finished them all! Photos coming!
1 comment:
Did you see any orchids that are like a royal purple color, sort of checkered that didn't have any dirt??? Look for those! Beautiful flowers! You are right...I tend to look at just about every flower I see. But I don't really know their names and stuff. It doesn't matter. The table setting is a bit stuffy for me but it sure is pretty to look at. Was it dust free? Wow...if it is, that's a nonachievable dream!!
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