Cedar Key - Bayou Time!

Cedar Key is indeed a key, an island;  a little corner of Florida on the West Coast that juts out into the Gulf of Mexico.  There are also many inlets, canals and as I like to call them, bayous.

The photos these two collages are based on were taken from both sides of the bridge crossing the Lewis Pass Canal and some of the buildings house clam 'races', where seed clams are raised.  Cedar Key is famous for its clams.

It also became apparent that Pink and Yellow Bayou have decided that they would work very well as a side-by-side pair when they're in mood and don't want to just be the individuals they are.

Pink Bayou collage - Cedar Key

 

Yellow Bayou collage - Cedar Key

By the way, Sheila Baby and the yellow boat are Cedar Key residents too.  Sheila has a sister boat, Baby Cakes, who has appeared in other collages.

Our visit is coming to an end here. I have some images that caught my eye, so perhaps another post is upcoming.

 

 

 

More Cedar Key-ing

If you follow my blog, you may have noticed I don't post frequently - except during these travel times.  It's interesting working with a focused frame, as it were, using photos from my travels as the anchor of each collage. I call these my 'regional collages'.  Mid-afternoons have become the 'back at the ranch' time from our meanderings and when I collage.  

My friend Perry Fitzhugh once said to me that he thought he would enjoy working for Sesame Street, where you have to be creative with simple themes, like numbers, letters and concepts like up and down and have to stay within that focus. I find there is a different creative feeling to work within the frame of the trip. And at home, I don't have the openness to spend every afternoon at the collage pallet.  Travel bonus!

The background building in this collage is indeed vintage and is all gray weathered wood. It has been abandoned for many years and the only unused building on 2nd Street, the main street here. At one point, many little found-art assemblages were nailed to the walls, but this year they are mostly gone with a few new drawings on the walls. 

            

Here vintage people, with vintage-inspired Mr. Pearl, appreciate Old Florida Cedar Key.

Vintage Cedar Key collage - Cedar Key

I've always liked this funky cottage, with a yard full of Flamingos and the doll who lives on the porch. 

Dolly House Cottage  collage - Cedar Key

 

And truly, how could one pass up using this chicken shorts gal in a collage. Not me, for sure.

Till next time.

Cedar Key Florida 2023 ~ Kayaks, Century Plants and Flamingos

 Kayaking is a popular thing here and these colorful boats can be seen on the beach, in backyards and on tops of cars.  

 

Those Kayak Girls collage - Cedar Key

 Huge Century Plants are also in abundance.

Among the Century Plants collage - Cedar Key

But what is in most abundance are the birds, and apparently mating season is coming, so the flocks are gathering. Pelicans, Ibis, Herons, Doves and the most unique and wonderful Roseate Spoonbills. Flamingos are very prevalent too, but they are of the plastic lawn ornament variety.

Flamingo Hotel collage - Cedar Key

Now for more roaming out and about.

 

Cedar Key, Florida 2023 ~ Our favorite little Gulf Coast Town.

 From the urban, artsy Savannah vibe to laid-back, 'Old Florida' Cedar Key.  Although Cedar Key sports two art galleries, two lovely gift shops and several restaurants, it's still a place for doing nothing, as it were. Our 'nothing' is long walk-abouts through town and sitting by the Gulf.  Our only 'sport' is bird watching from our deck, although the area offers fishing and kayaking. All the 'Old Florida' architecture and island colors are my muse.

We've been coming here for many years now, after being introduced to it by our friend Donna, who lives in St. Petersburg. We stopped by Cedar Key on our way to St Petersburg to see all the assemblage art on the Low Key Hideaway motel. We liked the town so much, we came back on the way home and then the following year, began coming to Cedar Key.

This mural has been here for awhile and this year looked refurbished. A bit of vintage beach photography highlights the welcome vibe.

Welcome to Cedar Key collage

This little cottage, hidden amongst the trees, is definitely a vibrant island house; named by it's owners as the 'Shaby Shax'.   The vibrant Peony is derived from a quilling-art piece by my friend Deb Booth, with her kind permission.

The Pink 'Shaby Shax' collage

Now for some sitting on the deck.

Savannah 2023 finale - Mannequins!!

 

I've loved mannequins for a long time.  I once had a torso that lit up, which we used as a table lamp.  Once had a full mannequin in the dining room that wore an vintage Mardi Gras costume [she came with it!]  and a Shriner's hat. And I have a wonderful 50's vintage mannequin head who happily lives in my studio at home. So I was especially happy to 'come upon' mannequins on our Savannah rambles.

Moving day appears to be just that; a truck of mannequins on their way to somewhere else.  There wasn't a clothing store or any other kind of shop nearby that might use mannequins.  Perhaps it is a personal collection?

Mannequins On The Move collage - Savannah

This team of mannequins and an array of sewing machines, reside at Number Nine, which houses classrooms for the SCAD School of Fashion.  We came across this diligent woman working by herself one evening. Diligent's fish hat came about in a funny way.  I wanted to add an odd element and had a dream about using fish.  In my collection of fish images, I came across the fish-in-a-cup image I had created some time ago and saw the colors were just right.  As I was positioning-repositioning elements, I made some of the elements in the collage not visible.  When I made them visible again, I discovered that the fish-in-a-cup had positioned itself to perfectly become a hat!!  Serendipity won the day!

Mannequins In Class collage - Savannah

Our Savannah stay is coming to a close. Next time will be from our favorite 'Old Florida' town, Cedar Key, on the Gulf Coast.