Dive right in, part 1~

You read correctly, part 1.  This is a great little story that I wanted to share & as you read on, you'll see why it's only part one.    Robert & Kim Wittekind are Facebook friends of mine...they have always been very kind in their compliments to me regarding my work as well as my daily posts on FB.  Recently I noticed some photos on Robert's page that I though were neat and surely had a story...my intuition was correct :-).

Robert and Kim live in Titusville, FL just across from the space center.  Robert is a native Floridian and Kim is from Texas, but has lived most of her life in Florida.   They both thrive in the Florida heat ~ even look forward to it as it adds something extra to their shared passion of  Scuba diving.  "The hotter the weather the more comfortable the diving" were Robert's exact words.  And where is one of their favorite diving haunts?  Right here in my little part of paradise, Key Largo!

About a year ago, Robert built a couple of adirondack style chairs & placed them on their back porch.  It seems they spend much time there discussing their love for diving (and likely a few other things).

During one such discussion they decided the chairs were a bit bland looking and decided to liven them up a little....and so the process began.  First there was the decision of color and design.  The colors reminiscent of their trips to Key Largo took the prize & this labor of love began....

This is Kim, taking great care in priming and basecoating Robert's expertly hand built chairs.  I have to say, if she found this step unpleasant at all, I feel her pain.  As an artist, there are a couple of parts of the creative process that are not much fun, however they are necessary to achieve the desired end.   For me personally, it is the preparation steps for which I don't have much love...lol.  These photos were from yesterday.

To my delight, today there were a few more photos showing the progression of change from bland to beautiful at the hands of Kim...

"We definetly are not artists but I believe we will have a lot of fun decorating the chairs."  Mr. Wittekind, while we all believe you and Kim will have a lot of fun with the redo of your chairs,  I don't think you've convinced us of the first part of your statement ....does anyone agree with me on this?

 

I don't know about you, but now that we all have a little history on these chairs, I can hardly wait to see what lies ahead ~ part 2 coming soon...

Do you have something you've been wanting to do & just can't seem to get started?  Take it from The Wittekinds...just dive right in!

In fun & sharing,

Coconut Sal~



The Heart & Soul of a Conch~

Wow, I really thought this post would be a breeze to write ~ I was wrong.  But, here we go...through Facebook, I became acquainted with a man named Henry Fuller.  Henry lives 100 miles from me in Key West.  I have yet to meet Henry face to face ~ yet I hope to eventually.  A self-titled peace & love maker, Henry shares his heart & soul with those fortunate enough to have a connection with him be it personal or electronic.  In reality, I have a strong suspicion that even the electronic connections are personal to Henry...something I really love about him.  Henry is also a true Conch* ~ born, raised & living his life on his beloved island, Cayo Hueso*.   Fast forward...just this morning I sent Henry a message asking permission to share some of his photos in my blog.  Much to my delight he graciously responded with a yes;  he asked for no recognition as he does what he does in the name of love & peace.  He will, however, receive his proper due when I share his photos with my readers.  I'll be posting them from time to time and always look for them in my sidebar photos.   I hope you enjoy Key West through the eyes of my friend as much as I do ~ thank you, Henry!

Simply Beautiful!

Conch Color

What a place for a siesta!

Well, it's now time to commune with my paints and coconuts...I can almost hear them calling.  Looks like it's going to be a beautiful sunset ~ I might have to peddle to the other side of the island tonight....

Peace to all~

Coconut Sal

*  The terms Conch & Cayo Hueso are a whole other post of their own so for the sake of brevity a Conch is a lifelong resident of Key West (with variations depending upon with whom you speak) and Cayo Hueso is the original Spanish name of the island; it means Bone Key.    





My First Blog Post~

For literally months now, many of my friends have been strongly suggesting that I start a blog. In short, here I am.  Being new at this, I'm sure there are many ins & outs of the process with which I am not familiar;  that will change ~ so please have patience.  My true inspiration for beginning to blog was the blog of a Facebook friend, Honest Works Island Pottery Co.  After reading just a few posts, I was hooked and decided it was time to begin mine.  Thank you "A" for unknowingly giving me guidance and a Life Gain~

Beside the small picture of me, you will see a short bio that was taken from a much longer bio I posted on Facebook a couple of weeks ago.  I'll share the rest of that now as a means of sharing a small part of what makes the coconut painting part of my mind tick.
                                                                            

 " Not only am I fascinated by each coconuts' individuality, there is a bit of coconut history that captured my heart.  Long, long ago, sailors (and likely a few pirates), knew the value of coconut palms and would always leave them behind wherever the weather would be conducive to their growth; the idea being to keep a constant supply of this "tree of life" for future visitors or for their return.  Every part of the tree is still used in many cultures, even our "modern" society would suffer a great loss if these wonderful trees were to disappear.  In fact, the water from green coconuts was used in the south pacific in WWII as a successful life sustaining IV drip for wounded soldiers and is still used by athletes and other folks all over the world for it's many health benefits.  That precious water is even safe for diabetics and possesses every vitamin, mineral and nutrient needed to survive.  By the time a coconut turns brown and falls to the ground, many see it as a nuisance...not me, I see it as an absolutely amazing gift on which to share my art!

When I pick up a coconut, it is not without a great deal of reflection on it's contribution to our world.  By the time I finish painting a coconut, I know it's curves, wrinkles and general "vibe"  intimately.  Just like the rest of the natural world, each is unique with it's own personality, so to speak.  They decide what design will work, and sometimes, with their curves and wrinkles, even tug at my brushes a little as if they know best...and I trust them.

 For a totally unique and meaningful piece of environmentally friendly art it doesn't get much better.  Every coconut is my original hand painted design signed, dated and numbered by me."

Whew! after all of that, I will leave you with this picture of a coconut I recently painted that is now on it's way to a new home. 

Until next time, I leave you with peace~

Coconut Sal