LUCY BURDETTE: One of the things John and I really love about Key West is the vibrant art scene on the island. A few weeks ago we went on a tour of several artist studios sponsored by the Studios of Key West. We first visited the studio of sculptor John Martini, who is well known for his large steel sculptures, simultaneously whimsical and ferocious. You can spot them all around town but seeing a forest of them all in one place was remarkable.
Plus, you are invited to peer through a window into the artist's creative process...this reminded me of our "what we're writing" days, where we show you snippets of works in progress...
Next we visited the exhibits at the Studios of Key West, and went to the top floor of the building to admire Hugh’s View, a rooftop bar/gathering place. My writer’s brain began to churn. I could imagine someone being on this rooftop for a concert or a happy hour and witnessing something that they might not even realize that they’d seen. I filed that thought away.
It was unbearably hot that day, but we forged onward to see the studios on Dey Street. Formerly the home of the late artist Suzie dePoo, the compound is now a creative hive of activity for artists and musicians.
She and her poet husband spend three or four months away from Key West every summer, and over that time they work on books together. She does artwork on one side of the page, and he writes poetry on the other. She described these journals as a way to keep her grounded in her practice while she’s far from her studio. (This resonated with me, as I realize that if I take too much time off from writing, it can be very hard to get started again.) Her husband, Greg Cantrell, describes it this way: "On all of our travels, we begin each day with a few hours in a favorite cafe...and we always carry our journals around: Marlene fills hers with images, I fill mine with words--our daily ritual and discipline."
The books were so interesting and beautiful that I went back a second time to take pictures for you. (I know that some of you Reds use special journals for your projects too.)
As I was leaving, I noticed her window, overlooking a small alley.
In that small alley, what might she, as a character, have seen, maybe not even consciously noticed? Maybe what her subconscious registered will be illustrated in one of her books? I'm thinking...I will try to have this scene ready for our next 'what we're writing' week!
Reds, if you keep a journal, what does it look like? How do you use it? What's the most unusual window into an artist or writer's process have you heard about?
