(Photo from the West Martello, civil war fortifications and national historic site ... now the home of the Key West Garden Club. Click on any photo in this post to enlarge.)
March has flown by!
My month in paradise at The Studios of Key West are nearly at an end. (Attention all visual, literary, and performance artists ... deadline for next year's residency program is May 15. Check out the application HERE!)
I am faced with wrapping up projects and visiting the remaining few locations on my "to do" list. This meant dealing with an incredible heap of polyester velvet scraps ....
... leftover snippets from making so many faux-stained glass fiber works.
(Above: In Box XCI. 37" x 17". Polyester stretch velvet, previously painted WonderUnder/Bond-a-Web, metallic foiling, overlay of chiffon scarves, free-motion machine embroidery, and melting. Photo taken on the front porch of my residency cottage. Click on image to enlarge.)
I returned to my original "In Box Series". The only real difference between the "faux-stained glass" and the "In Box Series" is the size and shape of the polyester velvet pieces used in their construction. I reduced the pile of snippets considerably. I could have made a few smaller "In Boxes" but I am now nearly out of 100% black cotton thread. (I purchased the only two spools available at Ben Franklin's in order to finish this piece!) For a free tutorial on this work, CLICK HERE.
(Above: Harry S. Truman's Little White House.)
Yesterday I visited the Harry S. Truman's Little White House. It was like stepping back into history. Everything is the same it was in the late 40s and 50s. All the furnishings are original ... down to the poker table, bar glasses, and piano!
Making the tour even more amazing was the fact that over half those on my tour remember Harry S. Truman! Even the guide, a native "conch" (person born in Key West) remembers being a twelve-year old newspaper boy selling the president a copy. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed to be taken inside.
I also visited the West Martello Tower, a Civil War era fortification and National Historic Site which is now the home of the Key West Garden Club. What a fantastic use of an otherwise "ruin" of a structure! Some of the structure is in good repair and is now a library and meeting room for the very active green-thumbs.
What they've done to the exterior ground is remarkably beautiful!
(A green iguana in the Key West Garden Club's butterfly area!)
I took hundreds of photos but pared the group down to a mere twenty-five which are now on Flickr HERE or as a slideshow HERE. Enjoy ... I sure did!
6 comments:
Susan - your work is just beautiful. I love your stained glass look! I've also enjoyed your blog during this wonderful month you have had in Key West. Thanks for the link to the tutorial on how you create this work. I would love to give it a try.
Don't forget to try and get to East Martello as well, over by the airport. Some interesting artifacts including a replica of my friend Marylin, the Cookie Lady, as well as a raft from the Marielitos boat lift.
so glad this was such a successful venture for you. The art created as always is strikingly beautiful. I do love these stained glass like pieces in fabric wall hangings.
and that Green Guy is quite good looking too!
I think that Steve is there right now. I hope you are having a great time! It's so awesome that you can share the place with him. But the experiences are your own and we can only dream about the opportunity to have such experiences. You really make me want to apply for the residency! Great pictutes too...love the lizard! I thought I remembered Pres. Truman too but realized I didn't.
The residency sounds and looks like it's been amazing. Perhaps amazing isn't even strong enough!! You can't even begin to put a value on the gift of the time to pour all your energies into creating. And your obvious joy in that opportunity shines through. I've loved reading your posts about this - thank you!!
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