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| "Murat House, St. Augustine, Florida" c. 1993 Watercolor by Krys Pettit |
I am a frequent visitor to St. Augustine, Florida. I enjoy strolling the quiet back streets of St. Augustine away from the crowds, snack food and cheap trinkets. It's there I find many historic structures and my inspiration for paintings. The image on the left is one of the first watercolors I did back in 1993 -- I was just starting working with the medium. I incorrectly named the piece and in later years learned it was the Prince Napoleon Achille Murat House. The Prince was the nephew of Napoleon and arrived in St. Augustine in the spring of 1824 but eventually left to reside in Tallahassee.
I stay away from the heart of tourism, tee shirt and overpriced souvenir shops. I prefer streets where I find gems like this one below. The Marin House is on aptly named Marine Street. The property was acquired by a Minorcan colonist from New Smyrna Beach and the house is over 200 years old.
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| "Faded Beauty" c. 2000 Watercolor by Krys Pettit |
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| Marin House, St. Augustine Florida, 2017 |
I love the unique coloring. Much of the faded, mottled walls have been overpainted recently and the inspiration for my painting is long gone, along with some not-so-popular mold and peeling plaster.
Plaques like these are placed on historical structures all around St. Augustine, giving you a sense of how long these buildings have seen tourists and hurricanes come and go.
If you live close enough take some time to visit this wonderful city. It may inspire you to learn more about the history of early Florida and perhaps even become an artist.
For more paintings and building portraits, please visit my website:
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