Keys4Art 2013, Part IV

This is it.....the final Keys4Art 2013 post.  I'm a little sad because blogging about the retreat is reliving it, and I can't get enough of that!  I hope some more of the ladies decide to do the same so I
can experience it all yet again.  (Speaking of which, click here for Teri's blog post).

One of our Keys regulars who did not attend this year was Val, and she sent along a bunch of chipboard houses, and asked us to decorate them using red, white, and aqua.  The completed houses will help decorate her new vacation home.  (If you click on Val's name above, you'll be taken to her blog where you'll see that home and the decorated houses she's already received from other artsy friends.  I know she'll love ours too).  I'm not sure if all the houses made it into Lill's camera, but here's what I was able to snag from her.  Click on Lill's name and get her perspective on the retreat.

 

 

BTW, mine is the one with the stylized flag, and on the roof it says, "Home Is Where The Art Is."  Which is for sure true for us.  And thanks to the wonderful Sue Pelletier whose artful flag class has inspired so many flags that have found their way into my art.

 

We spent a lot of time in the kitchen, either cooking, cleaning, eating, or watching others cook, clean or eat. This is what it looked like when we arrived, and when we left.  In between, not so much.

 

 

Thanks to everyone who kept us very well fed (and that does include Elena's and Bernie's restaurant, The Marlin).   Jacquie, Karen, Pat, Daisy, Sue....many thanks for the extra 3 pounds I brought back home with me.

 

 

 

We celebrated Lill's birthday with a cake and Bernie's spectacular ribs.  Yes, that is me wiping rib residue from my lips.  Unflattering, yet accurate.

 

 

 

And lest you think I was just one of the watchers, I helped shred the chicken for Karen's awesome gumbo, and I did make a pretty mean chopped salad a few times.  Actually, everyone pitched in.  And though we might have wanted to, we did not keep Karen chained to the kitchen churning out southern Louisiana treats.  This next photo proves that she had some down time.

 

 

 

Relaxing on the deck was one of the greatest pleasures of having the retreat at this house.

 



 

 

You've already seen what our work spaces looked like as we did our thing.  This is what it looked like when we arrived.  I can't even begin to imagine the work that went into readying the place for us.  Elena, Jacquie, you rock!  And a shout out to Patty and Linda, two other Keys regulars who didn't attend but helped with the set up.

 

 

 

Teri took this photo of the view from the roof of the house.  I don't do heights very well, so thanks for climbing that circular staircase, Teri!

 

 

 

One afternoon we witnessed a school of jumping mullets passing by.  We were so excited and the fish so fast, we couldn't get a shot off in time.  But this picture I found online gives you an idea of what we saw.  It was this city girl's idea of Wild Kingdom.

 

 

 

Our last night was spent partying at The Marlin.  Good food, great company, and some interesting dance moves.  Not to mention the duet between the entertainer and our Jen.

 

 

 

 

The next morning we headed out to the airport early enough for Jen to get this shot of the sunrise....in a fast moving van, mind you.

 

 

 

We're already talking about Keys4Art 2014, which Elena is determined to have.......in Cuba!