#aehkstpete

THANK YOU to everyone who came to my place during the Kenwood Artist Enclave Studio Tour this weekend. Wow! What a weekend! Thank you for all the great conversations, compliments, connections, questions, inspiration, tips, and purchases! My personal goal this week is to update my website to include all my new work, including new photos, the wood transfers, the super-sized vinyl banners, and the giclée option. And I need to update that certain limited edition photos are now sold out for good, e.g. the three 20x20 inch flamingo kiss metal prints. (Thank you, Leslie and Sandy!) LINK VIA BIO or direct: LuciWest.com Thank you to Bob, @bryan_klopfenstein, and Stephen (Blue Island Group) and @debrubysings Deb Ruby for being the musical guest artists and creating such a beautiful atmosphere with your songs. And thank you to Letisia Cruz @lesinfin.art for being the visual guest artist and bringing your stunning girls, birds, and other works to my outdoor studio. An extra special thank you to Kaleena, Sudsy, Anne Wade for being the most fabulous greeters welcoming each guest who came through the front gate. You three are my personal rock stars! Another big thank you to Mo and Captain Mark for hosting / wrangling WhiskeyDog. And as always, I'm forever grateful to @ssolary2 Thank you for co-hosting, helping make the art happen, putting up with me and supporting me in all ways, and building that "rain drain" so that according to Murhpy's Law it wouldn't rain all weekend. #aehkstpete #aehkstudiotour #birdnerd #floridakeys (at Robbie's Marina, Islamorada, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqD1jZAJYYd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Welcome! The Historic Kenwood Artist Enclave Studio Tour is happening this weekend at 20 stops, including my home - and outdoor studio / indoor creative lab. You know you've found it if you see this birdfeeder, with or without parrots on it. Thank you to all who came on this first day - and welcome all who are coming on Sunday. We will have live music again, on Sunday by singer-songwriter @debrubysings at 1pm and 3pm. And @lesinfin.art will read poetry at 11am. I've got lots of new work to share with you. Some that is so handmade, I've developed blisters. Some already sold but kindly left for you to still see. Some gone already. And lots of interesting people to chat with. And always plenty of birds, butterflies, and blooms to take in. The tour is free and self-guided. Tour map, schedule, info: https://kenwoodartistenclave.org/artist-studio-tour/ #aehkstpete #aehkstudiotour #birdnerd #parrotslife #floridabirds https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp9J1Q4sAWH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Another backyard surprise! With all the plants (and work) we've put into our yard since we bought it 1 1/2 years ago, there are still "surprise plants" we didn't know we had until they suddenly bloom, like this one. Daffodil? Narcissus? #happierplace #backyard #backyardoasis #historickenwood #aehkstpete #flowermagic #floridawinter (at Historic Kenwood) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpadS3kuU8T/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

I've been fascinated with the outstanding #longexpsoure and even #intentionalblur photography by from-another-era Google Create friends like @markhurn_art and @cdmandich. One of these days I'd like to explore that more. While working on a photo blog post, I just came across this photo of a Eurasian titmouse (blue or great) and I rather like it. So instead of tossing it, I better share it right now without overthinking it too much - because it might not make it into the blog post about German winter birds (to come out later today). But I'm feeling quite inspired to purposefully take long exposure photos of birds in flight. Maybe more to come... I should add that if you were to look closely at this photo there's a layer of texture - I also took this photo through a window. Another "daring" no-no. #motionblurphotography #paintingwithlight #aehkstpete #birder #birdphotography #titmouse #meise #blaumeise #kohlmeise #greattit #bluetit #haseldorfermarsch (at Haselau) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cou73qHpcgp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Good to see you again! It's been a while. Where have you been? What stories could you tell us? (across the street from my house where I'm more grateful than ever that our Florida "cold November" does not compare to any Novembers I experienced elsewhere. Also: wild parrots) #happierplace #roamflorida #stpete #historickenwood #aehkstpete #lovefl #women_wildlife_photography #birds_adored #nanday #parakeets (at Historic Kenwood) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClMH89dvWc_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Tired from yesterday. Grateful for today. Hopeful for tomorrow. On Monday before the storm, we took in a monarch chrysalis hanging on a monstera leaf outside. Yesterday, I thought it might be safe enough to take it back outside. Today, the chrysalis wall became translucent and we got to watch the monarch butterfly come out, pump up its wings, get ready to fly, take off, and land in the Surinam Cherry tree. While I know this is BS to relate this to the actual events of the past and future days in Florida and for everyone in the path of Hurricane Ian, I can't help to see a reflection of what we personally just went through. We anticipated great danger, but had shelter, got lucky, and now we're emerging, we get to thrive another day - and we are grateful. This I wanted to share in hopes it may bring solace and hope to others. My heart aches, my stomach is in knots, and I keep choking up when I think of all the suffering and heartbreak down south. May all feel safe and healthy and happy again. #hurricaneian #survivor #resilience #monarchbutterfly #aehkstpete (at Saint Petersburg, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjJICOzJL91/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Back in my own backyard, cool stuff is happening, too. One of the surprises of our first summer in the Burlinsky's Backyard: lots of random passion vines popping everywhere. This one we staked up with a tomato cage after that plant faded from too much Florida heat. But even the ones on the ground have a few passionflower blooms. #Backyardoasis #happierplace #historickenwood #aehkstpete #passion https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci7mkqHL-zM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Finally: resuming normal speed! Been holding on to this photo for a while until it felt true. Thought it would be when me + mine could move freely again w/o covid threats. Didn't expect it would also be because I feel like my active self again thanks to new home, friends + @aehkstpete . #putabirdonit #happierplace #birdnerd #aehkstpete #floridalife #returntonormal #community (at St Joseph Sound) https://www.instagram.com/p/COyhU7AH97F/?igshid=ud3l4trott00