Shot Gun Conchs and the Weekend Ahead

Another Party filled weekend in Key West starting with the................

Classic Key West - TSKW Members Salon

The Studios of Key West shows the work of its member artists twice a year.  The November Salon kicks off the new season and always has a theme.  This year's theme is Classic Key West.  Here is TSKW's description of how the artists might interpret the theme.


Ask what “classic” Key West is, and you’ll get a hundred answers. It might be Hemingway pulling in trophy fish, powder-fueled disco nights at the Copa, or the legend of Bum Farto. Or it might just be a color: the deep warm red of a Poinciana bloom, or the pale blue of a porch ceiling. Open to all members of The Studios, we invite the artists among us to take the island we call home as inspiration, and submit a work that says it best.

I decided to paint the classic Cigar Makers Cottage.  These little shotgun style  tropical cottages are all over the island and I love them. I also wanted to check off as many "classic Key West icons" as I could in this painting. 
For me these icons are:
flowers
chickens/roosters
water view
cats
bicycle
sailboat
sunset
palms
shutters
pretty colors
tiny porch
metal roof

The first place I lived in Key West was a 480 sq. ft. shotgun cottage.  No AC so the doors were always open and you could see straight through to the back yard. The door is always on the right side of the porch as you are facing the house.

Shotgun Conchs
acrylic - 24" x 30" gallery wrap
available through TSKW
©Maggie Ruley 2015

If you are in town I encourage you to come to this show opening.  TSKW will be handing out its new catalog of this season's classes and events.  If you are a collector it will be a great opportunity to see new work by artists from all over the island.

The Studios’ Member Salon

Nov 5-25. Opening Nov 5

Reception: Thu Nov 5, 6-8pm during First Thursdays

for more information about the Members Salon click HERE

Parrotheads in Paradise - Meeting of the Minds

November 4 - 8, 2015

If you are in Key West this weekend you'll notice TropRock music being played all over town along with Jimmy Buffet fans in flip flops, Hawaiian shirts, and straw hats covered with pins and mementos from past conventions.

This fun weekend is one of my favorites.

Meet the Parrotheads in Paradise

Info about the Meeting of the Minds

Schedule of events.

If you are reading this is your inbox and want to read it in the original blog format which can connect to other fascinating blog posts click HERE

Maggie Ruley is a studio artist living in Key West, Florida.

Her colorful paintings and tropical pottery are collected world wide and can be found in many island homes. She has been featured in the Key West Citizen,

New York Daily News , and other publications.

Her handmade ceramic flip flops have been sold in gift shops all along the east coast and in California and Hawaii.

 Her studio and gallery is located in the historic Seaport area of Old Town Key West.

Maggie Ruley~Island Inspirations

933b Fleming St.

Key West Florida 33042

www.maggieruley.com

Honor your talent

Fleming St in Bloom
oil on canvas
©Maggie Ruley 2015

 I had some customers in the studio the other day who expressed great surprise that I wouldn't be in the studio on Wednesday because I would be in a painting class.  Why would I chose to take a class when I have a certain skill level and a great place to use those skills?  Good question. The answer is because one way I can honor my talent, honor my customers and fans, and honor my students (Yeah, that's right, I teach classes now-more on that another time) is to be always in a state of learning.  Most often I learn from my mistakes, but it's really great to learn from other artists. So, in the month of April, I have been taking a plein air oil painting class from Mike Rooney.  Mike is from North Carolina, spends winters painting in Key West and part of the summer painting in Cape Cod and Maine.

 It's lovely this time of year in Key West and the Bougainvillea in morning sunlight was right in my own Fleming St. neighborhood was irresistible.

Using oil paints is not my greatest skill set, that makes this class a challenge. We don't get to be better painters doing the things we are good at over and over. Mike does a great job of giving us instruction and I'm enjoying the class. Here is his painting set up, simple and functional, along with his system of finding correct values in sun and shadow.

On a final note I want to thank everyone who stuck by me when my blog was hacked and those of you who have patiently waited for me to decide it was safe to post again.  You are the best! And I want to thank this blog that helped me solve the problem.



Red Cottage, acrylic on paper, 6 x 8'
day 10, 30 day challenge,
$40 ©Maggie Ruley 2013

 

I made things easier on myself and painted a little cottage I have painted before.  I just haven't done it this size or on paper.  It is a cute little house over in the Meadows section of Key West and it is on Pearl St.  It does have that cute little market umbrella in the front yard, but the house is green, not red.

 

I have a lot of scrap cardboard in my studio so I am using pieces for the small palettes that I need for these small paintings.

 

I think I will be back to palms tomorrow because I have a number of things to do and I think I'll be able to finish one of my palm starts fairly quickly. 

 

Regarding yesterday's painting:  Artist Maggie Latham who used to live in the house I painted had some very interesting things to say about the history of the house and the neighborhood.  So if you would like to know more go to yesterday's post and look for her comment.

 

I am having a give-away!

Here is how it works.  Leave a comment on my post and you will be entered to win.  I am going to give away one painting a week for the duration of the 30 Day Challenge, (the month of September, 2013). If you comment daily on my posts then you can be entered up to 7 times to win.  The winner will have their choice of any unsold painting of the week. 

Those of you who subscribe by e-mail to this blog can either reply to the e-mail, or comment and you will be entered.

Please note this drawing is going to be casual.  I am not hiring any fancy auditing company to do the selection.  It is going to be a plain old pieces of paper in a bowl thing.

If you are the winner your painting will be shipped to you after it has dried, which can take one to two weeks with oils.

If you would like more information about the challenge, see what the other artists are painting, or join in click the link below

30 day challenge
Everyone have a good day!

 

 

906 Seabreeze Lane, Day 9, 30 Day Challenge

906 Sea Breeze Lane  6 x 8", acrylic on paper
Day 9, 30 Day Challenge
SOLD © 2013 Maggie Ruley

Fellow blogger Maggie Latham lived in this little pink cottage on Pohalski  Lane in Key West awhile back.  I told her I would try to work it into the 30 day challenge.  I have painted this house before in a small painting called Sea breeze Lane.  I just couldn't title it Pohalski Lane, now could I?

Here are the photos of the lane, cute cottage but strange roof line.  The area on the right might have been a later addition, which is very typical of Key West architecture.

And in other news, the give away is still going on the information is below.

I am having a give-away!

Here is how it works.  Leave a comment on my post and you will be entered to win.  I am going to give away one painting a week for the duration of the 30 Day Challenge, (the month of September, 2013). If you comment daily on my posts then you can be entered up to 7 times to win.  The winner will have their choice of any unsold painting of the week. 

Those of you who subscribe by e-mail to this blog can either reply to the e-mail, or comment and you will be entered.

Please note this drawing is going to be casual.  I am not hiring any fancy auditing company to do the selection.  It is going to be a plain old pieces of paper in a bowl thing.

If you are the winner your painting will be shipped to you after it has dried, which can take one to two weeks with oils.

To see other paintings from the 30 day challenge click here.



Pink Cottage, Day 1, 30 Day Challenge

Pink Cottage oil on paper 8"x6" ©2013 Maggie Ruley SOLD unframed

 

Pink Cottage is my first painting for the 30 day challenge.  I might want to work on it some more.  But this is as far as I am taking it today.  I did use the odds and ends of paint left on my palette from today to lay in some colors for future paintings.  It feels good to have the first painting done and future paintings started.

Pink Cottage with study

 

To find out more about this challenge, or to participate or to see paintings posted by the 300 or so artists participating in the challenge

go here

 

NOW,  move your eyes to the right, now up a little, that's it, and notice that my Etsy store is open.  Try the link and if you notice any problems with the store, please let me know.

 

And THANKS.



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.