Heavenly Biscuit

This business thrives, as you can see, in a small house. Last year there were five or six tables inside, the bakery and order desk and cash. As you can see there are small tables on the small porch and most people stand. The fire department didn't like all this, wonder why, and this year they had to change a few things. Now you line up, outside, beside the building, on their new ramp. The door must be kept closed. When it is your turn you go in, order what you want, pay, help yourself to coffee and sit wherever you can, usually outside since now they only have two tables inside and a bigger kitchen. In spite of all the fire code regulations they have kept their charm, which is mainly friendly service, crowded conditions for customers, which means everyone chats with everyone else and has fun. 

I painted across the road from the Heavenly Biscuit and all morning there was a steady stream of people willing to stand in line for quite a while, and then devour heavenly biscuits and cinnamon rolls.Everyone obviously enjoyed their visit. I decided to take my turn in line, when it was quite short, only about eight customers. I left my painting, on the easel, since it was done, and lined up. When I got to the door, a gust of wind caught the easel and it all went over. I think I whispered something and ran and picked everything up. I went back over and the people in front of me in line said, Here we saved your spot.. At the order desk!  Wonderful. The cinnamon bun was about four inches across and two inches deep and full of cinnamon, brown sugar and butter. It was heavenly!!!

                        M.  

The Porch at Edison Estates

                          

If you have been following my blog, you will know that this is the second version of this porch on the Edison Estate in Ft. Myers . The first version, posted last year, was sold and subsequently during a move, was lost. The purchaser asked me to re do the painting. Here is the finished result, for the second time, on an 11x14 Masonite board.

It is sold.

Time Square

This oil painting on an 16x20 canvas was quite an undertaking. I had signed up for a workshop on perspective using a Streetscape and this was my example to be used. I started with a photo and during the workshop I learnt a lot of interesting techniques on planning a painting and then how to plan the use of perspective and implement this new knowledge. The instructor was excellent, she wins many awards in the art shows down here and is an excellent teacher. During the lessons she wondered around the class and offered a lot of individual advice and guidance, which I needed. This painting was started during the class but finished on location at Time Square. This is the heart, the downtown of the B each and as you can see has open air patios that serve meals as well as drinks. Many of the seniors at the Beach spend time sitting and watching the action in this area. Buskers are always there and sunset is an event with a live band and entertainment. These days the area is even busier as the students are coming here for their winter break. Bikinis and partying are favourites to watch. The Cincinnati firemen are famous here for their entertaining shows that they put on daily, outside, for the college kids. The group of firemen has been coming down for years, but their stay is short just two weeks then they return to fighting fires in Cincinnati, and practicing for next years shows.

     

      

                     

This oil was sold off my easel at Time Square.

Living the Life of Riley at Red Coconut

                    

                            

I know the title is long, but I just had to name it this. I was at the R ed Coconut one Wed. morning and it was foggy! Thick sea fog was over the whole area and while I was searching for a place to paint, I was hoping the fog would lift. I have always been fascinated by this campground. Well, it used to be a campground and they were always full with no vacancies. People were packed in very tightly, but the most dense was in this first row, that is right on the beach. Campers waited for years for a front row vacancy to come up and I'm sure there is a waiting list. This camp is in high demand as it is all prime real estate. The park straddles Estero Blvd., and has four or five rows on the beach side and about three or four times that many spots on the other side of the Blvd. They are and have always been very crowded. But times change on Fort Myers Beach, and soon the Red Coconut campground was not a campground anymore but an R.V.  Resort. Now they could charge more money and hopefully crowd in as many people, on the same number of spots. I walked around the Park as the fog cleared and decided if you really wanted to park your very expensive motor home on the beach, or close by, this was the best and only park available, you have to tolerate the surroundings. You do still get a spot to put your motor home and room to extend one canopy on one side, and all the amenities, including running water and sewage hook up. There are bath houses with bathrooms and showers, laundry facilities, shuffle board, and The Beach. Because you are on the beach, there is sand everywhere and very little grass.  There are paved lane ways throughout and everything is close, very close. 

I got busy painting that front row of lucky Motor Home owners, who had the best spots in the Resort. Everyone who walked by stopped to chat and check my progress. They are a very friendly, out going, sociable group of people who live in the R.V. Park. If you live as close as they do to their neighbours, then you have to be very sociable and easy going. Whereas this resort is not for me, it obviously appeals to many people who wait for a long time for a vacancy. There truly is something for everyone on Ft. Myers Beach. One R.V. Owner said he was Living the Life of Riley on Ft. Myers Beach. That had to be the title.