North Lido Beach

In Sarasota, near St. Armand's.

Spa Beach

In St. Pete, on the approach to the Pier (between the trees, on the right). An old postcard here, depicting the beach in front of the old Million Dollar Pier, before the upside-down pyramid was introduced.

Pure Pop for Greek People

Greek artists on CD for sale in Tarpon Springs.

Tarpon Springs Banners

More Pier

Good sailing conditions, as evidenced by the sails in the backgrounds behind these pelicans.

There is a "Feed the Pelicans" cart for tourists, behind the wall that this one is standing on, which makes them willing photo subjects.

Weather Washout

A windy, overcast Saturday at the Pier in St. Pete...

...had the Pelicans burying their heads.

Harbor View

A morning shot from north Clearwater Beach, looking at Clearwater Harbor with the beach roundabout in the foreground.

Grapevine Entry

(1st Avenue South, St. Pete)

Kerouac on a Paper Towel Dispenser

(The Men's Room at Haslam's Bookstore, St. Pete).

Background:

Kerouac's years in St. Petersburg.

Kerouac's house here.

Gallery Walk

Highly Recommended: Emerging Artist Invitational, exhibiting until February 24, at the Florida Craftsmen Gallery. The exhibit includes Florida artists with no prior solo exhibitions.
At right, incense sticks and paper make up Burn Book (Gabriel) Volume 3, by Martin Casuso of Miami...











...Liliana Crespi's ethereal Sanctuary...
















...down the street at the Arts Center, Robert Stackhouse & Carol Mickett exhibit with Waves of Meaning until February 23...












The exhibit includes large sculpture, an example of which is perfectly captured by my shitty camera phone. In the Blue is created from painted cypress. Walking through is wonder, and disconcertion all at the same time, as the wood out of the periphery reminds one of storm debris.

Main Switch

(Downtown St. Pete)


See Also:

• Stylin' Kilowatts
  

Stuck in the Muck

Low tide at Old Tampa Bay, looking from Clearwater to the Bayside Bridge.

Sketches in Bare

Vulturous-looking outside of St. Pete...

A crane set to raise a new condo in downtown St. Pete...

...and a grass-free yard in St. Pete Beach.

(Lassing Park in south St. Pete).

Christmas at the Vinoy

For out-of-town and international readers, the Vinoy hotel in downtown St. Petersburg is one of the area's stately pink hotels -- the other being the Don CeSar on St. Pete Beach. The Vinoy, built in 1925, is on the National Register of Historic Places. From 1974, when it closed, to the early '90s, when it was re-habed, the once-luxury hotel became a shelter for vagrants. After regaining its luxurious cred, it is now the home to one of the priciest Sunday brunches in town, and according to this Boston Herald blog, is where former Red Sox pitcher Scott Williamson saw a ghost (near bottom of post).















































And those St. Pete city elves: where DOES that attitude come from?

St. Pete Clay Co.

The St. Pete Clay Company, housed in the historic Seaboard Train Station, is home to all things clay: studios, galleries, education, and retail. Until Jan. 13 of next year, they're hosting a collection of art created on sections of the Berlin Wall...




...three Russian artists were invited to take part in the project to create art from sections of the wall on the East German side. Originally created to provide funding to build a Checkpoint Charley museum...




...the 114 sections were eventually sold to a U.S. businessman who had them shipped to Maine, before changing hands to a second owner, but one without means to market and promote the collection which languished for the next 15 years, before the Outdoor Arts Foundation acquired it in 2004.



The plaque behind this piece is a quote from Walter Ulbricht, leader of the GDR, from June 15, 1961, two months before the Berlin Wall construction began: "Nobody intends to put up a wall".

A workspace adjacent to one of the galleries.

One of the kilns.

Pieces from the company's annual holiday sale, where some real bargains for some quality work can be snapped up.

Sunset Attest

(Clearwater Beach)

Pigeon Scatter

(Downtown St. Pete)

(Bait House, Clearwater Marina)

(Pass-a-Grille Beach)