BEFORE

Remember I said I take a painting class with Jim Salem. Jim starts every class with a demonstration. His demo takes 30 to 40 minutes. He can very quickly rough out a painting in a short amount of time. This painting is 24 by 24 inches. Now, go and look at the Feb. 24 post and look at the finished painting again. Voila! Well, today I am going to Jim's painting class in the morning and then I have to go to a leadership workshop in the afternoon. More about that another time. Going to Jim's show was a real inspiration. Let's see what happens for me in class. Maybe I can hook into some of his magic.
All for now, have a fun day.

UNLOADING THE KILN

Remember the February 22 post? Well, this is the same shelf in the kiln after the heat has done its magic. That ugly green glaze turns into a lovely transparent gloss, making the colors rich and intense. Well, I have to get to work. I am working on a new mess of fish and some bowls and I am starting to get ready for my next show which is in early April in Islamorada Florida. Every one have a wonderful day!

THE JIM SALEM OPENING AT GINGERBREAD GALLERY IN KEY WEST

Jim Salem and one of his loyal customers and friends.

www.jimsalemart.com

Everybody wants to talk to Jim.

www.jimsalemart.com

One of Jim's stunning still lifes. But they really aren't still, they are full of movement, color and fun. www.jimsalemart.com

The Jim Salem show opened at Gingerbread Gallery last night and it was a packed house as usual. Packed with wonderful paintings and wonderful people. I took a few shots of the artwork and the people. For a really good look at the work go to http://www.jimsalemart.com/. The painting above was one of my favorites in the show. This photo doesn't do it justice, there were people in the way and I could not shoot it straight on. This show is going to hang for 2 weeks so if you are in Key West make sure you go see it. And remember, Jim teaches a class every Thursday from 9 am to 1 pm at the Sugarloaf Logde Tiki hut, Mile Marker 17 on the over seas highway and new students are always welcome. You pay as you go so you don't have to commit to weeks at a time. E-mail me if you want more info on the class.

FLY NAVY

I have been on a mission lately to get inspiration for a new series of paintings. There are two themes running in my head right now. One of them is the Garrison Bight waterfront area with house boat row, the Navy BOQ, and the boat yard. I really like the architecture of the BOQ and with the boat works right in front there is an interesting word play going on. The building says "Fly Navy", but there aren't any planes, just boats. And some one on house boat row just painted their house a lovely shade of lime green ( I have to get a photo), that would make some wonderful water reflections.

LOADING THE KILN

This is the inside of my kiln as I am loading it. The large platter in the center has glaze on the bottom so it is sitting on a 3-prong device called a stilt. If it wasn't on the stilt the platter would end up glazed to the shelf (not good). Also putting pieces on stilts gives me a little extra space on the shelf. The flip flops you see in there don't have glaze on the bottom so they can sit on the shelf and I can slip their ends under the platter. Kind of like sticking something under the bed. This load is getting fired tomorrow so I can go down to the street fair in town before my shift tonight at 7 Artists Key West.

SERVING PIECES WITH PALM APPLIQUES

Early this morning I was a volunteer at our Old Island Days Arts Festival here in Key West. I helped the artists/vendors with the set up. This show goes on for 2 days and always has some great work. After I was finished I went into 7 Artists Key West for a quick look around before the store opened and I was pleasantly surprised to see my stock looking a little thin. So I am headed down to the studio to put my nose to the grind stone and get some more work finished. I didn't feel well last week and now I have to catch up. I usually do a least one glaze load a week and nothing got fired last week. Well, I'll make it up somehow.

Wishing you all sunny days.

SAILBOATS AND PALMS

Just a quick post before I am off to my painting class. We meet in a delightful spot on the gulf of Mexico. These serving pieces with the palms and boats are certainly influenced by my surroundings. Well, wish me good painting. It is a beautiful day to be outside.

IN THE GALLERY NOW

This shelf in the gallery holds an assortment of serving pieces. There is a martini motif, an oak leaf and acorn motif and of course palm trees. Some smaller items appear on this shelf too. There are trivets, olive dishes, some coasters and a small palm ashtray. On the floor are flip flops and fish flops. One of my regular customers is an acorn collector, so she has just commissioned a platter that will have martini glasses on it and acorns will replace the olives. I'll have fun decorating that. Well, I am off to the studio, everyone have a great day!

FESTIVE SERVING PIECES

These large party pieces are in the gallery now. The papaya pieces on the left are a set, a large platter, 6 cocktail plates and a bowl for spreads or dip with a spreader knife. The coconut pieces on the right are sold separately. And there are some cute palm coasters.
Papaya set $295
Coconut platter $135
Coconut plate $54
Coasters $27

7 Artists Key West
604 Duval Street
Key West Fl 33040
(305) 293-0411
open every day 10 - 10

SOUTHERNMOST HOUSE

Here is the second painting in my new series. The house is looking a little wobbly, but the colors are nice and bright. I think this series has potential but it is still in the development stage. I like to try more conch houses and maybe a parrot and some brightly colored boats.

EXPERIMENTAL PAINTINGS

I have spent much of the week doing some experimenting with a new painting technique I am developing. I am painting with acrylic paint on un-primed canvas in a water color style. And I am adding dimension to the painting using dimensional fabric paint that come in squeeze tubes and are slick and shiny or glittery. I am trying to keep the colors pure and bright and the subject matter fun. These are joyful paintings perfect for a sunny spot, a beach house, or by the pool. So far there are 4 paintings in this series. I have framed 2 of them and they are going into the gallery today. 7 Artists Key West, 604 Duval St. Key West (305) 293-0411

TROPICAL DRINKS
11" x 14"
framed in a 2 inch white washed frame
$195.00

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

These serving pieces all have palm applique cut outs on their edges. It adds dimension and a real tropical touch. The photos make everything look a little flat but there are bowls as well as platters in this collection.

Small bowls $34
Oval Platters $86
Deep Oval Bowls $78

A RARE OCCURANCE

We almost never get fog here in the keys and now we have woken up to it two days in a row. So I thought I would share some photos.

GIVE YOUR SWEETHEART FLOWERS

This painting "Midnight Orchid" is a very recent painting. It shows a very different approach to painting than my other floral pieces. But that is not a surprise. My painting style is constantly changing and evolving. I love to experiment and say "WHAT IF?" Not knowing the outcome is very energizing for me. There is no right or wrong way to paint (in my opinion, that is). The orchid I chose to paint in my painting class was very, very frilly and very large. When I got back to the studio to work on it I decided that the ruffles and frills were what I was drawn to and what I wanted to emphasize. The rest of the painting resolved itself around those ruffles. It is a very sweet and romantic painting. Remember tomorrow is Valentine's Day.

Midnight Orchid, 12" x 12" in a black frame $225.00
Available at 7 Artists Key West (305) 293-0411

AN OCEAN OF BLUE AND GREEN

These ruffled serving sets look like water in motion. And notice the cute little turtle spoon rests swimming in the middle. And underneath there are some fish flops. The sets with the round platter and dip bowl are $48 the sets with the oval platter are $68. The turtle spoon rests are $17 and the fish flops are $48. Blue and green are just soothing to look at. These pieces are in my Key West Art Gallery now. 7 Artists Key West www.7artistskeywest.com

RAINBOW COLORED BOWLS

Maybe I should not say rainbow colored because there is no purple/violet. I love the purple and violet hues and I think they make vibrant serving pieces. But the purple pieces sit on the shelf for a long time. So it seems to me that most people don't see purple as a decorating color or an accent color choice. I have a few bowls that are dry and waiting to be decorated. Maybe I'll do a couple in purple just to fill out the rainbow idea.

TROPICAL FRUIT

These serving pieces all have a tropical style. The pineapple has been a symbol of welcome since colonial America and the palm tree with the sailboat just screams "RELAX". The sets with the platter and dip bowl are $68 and the serving bowls are $74. The reds and oranges have been very popular colors recently. While most people don't want that much color on their walls they seem to be very happy to use it when they entertain or give a gift. I have a friend who buys the sets, takes them to the party loaded with food and then leaves them as a gift for the hostess. Isn't that nice! You know he will always be asked back. All of these pieces can be found in my gallery on Duval Street in Key West. 7 Artists Key West, 604 Duval St. Key West , Florida. Open every day 10 to 10 (305) 293-0411

LOVE THAT RED

Well, the show is over and today I am working in the gallery( 7 Artists Key West) all day, which is great because I can spend the day re-doing my display. All of the shelves will be cleaned and all the new pieces moved in. It is amazing how moving things around and "sprucing up" seems to bring a new energy to the art work. People notice the new display. But it would be hard to miss that red. I love it. I will take gallery shots today and post the photos through out the week.

PIGEON KEY ART FESTIVAL

Here is my display at the art show. Every thing looked really good together. The new pieces with the pineapples and palms were very popular with the customers. It was cold and windy yesterday. I am hoping we get a little sun today.

LAST GLAZE LOAD OF THE WEEK

These are the last pots that are getting fired this week. The first picture shows pottery that is not glazed yet. The second shows pottery after the glaze is on. This glaze, that is opaque and green now, will be clear and glossy after the firing. The firings take 6 to 7 hours and the cool down time is about 12 hours.

NEW DESIGNS FOR SERVING SETS

I've created some new designs for my "dip sets". These sets consist of a ruffled platter for crackers or chips and a small bowl for dip or spread and a small spreader knife. The new designs are pineapples with berries and palm with sailboat. The small sets are $48 and the large sets are $68. And they come in assorted tropical colors. These are headed to the Pigeon Key Art Festival with me this weekend, Feb. 7 and 8.

MESS OF FISH

After unloading the kiln this morning my work table has a whole mess of fish on it. Some are wall decorations and some are spoon rests. The few palm trees down in the corner are also spoon rests. There is still more work to be done to the wall fish. They need wires and hangers put on the back. These fish will be going with me to the Pigeon Key Art Festival this weekend.

GETTING READY FOR PIGEON KEY ART FESTIVAL

I have been busy the last several weeks getting ready for the Pigeon Key Art Festival. This 2 day event is Feb. 7 & 8. Held in Marathon Florida each year this festival benefits the Pigeon Key Foundation, an organization that manages the historic Pigeon Key. It is a small island that was used by Henry Flagler when he was building his railroad. It contains many turn-of-the-century buildings. I am adding a couple of new lines to my work at this event. Here you see a group of serving pieces with palm tree appliques. VERY FESTIVE! The large platter is $86, the deep oval bowl is $78 and the serving piece is $48. They all come in several colors. For more of my work check out my web site www.maggieruley.com . My work can be seen in Key West at 7 Artists Key West at 604 Duval Street.