Spend a Weekend with RhondaK TIki Bar Sign Painter

SPEND A WEEKEND WITH A TIKI BAR SIGN PAINTER Real life with RhondaK Native Florida Folk Artist – As in it isn’t as easy as it looks—but it is FUN as it looks

Saturday April 19, 2008 begins with pirates
My day started out at 8am loading up my new Ford Explorer. A 6ft and 4 ft ladder, two wire display racks, lighting and about 200 signs. This custom sign was job 1 to deliver to where the Anna Maria Privateers were invading the Moose Lodge in Bradenton Beach Florida.

Drift In On Bridge Strett
At 11am I parked so bad I had to walk off with my head down ( an Explorer is not a Jeep CJ5)..the sales pug and I were early. We tried to grab a beer at Rotten Ralph’s on the pier of Bridge Street but NO dogs allowed. This is the outside of the Drift In…I wrote about it for the Creative Loafing in a story called a Diva Does Dives. In another story this bar serves as a place where I go ghost hunting at their 7:30am Happy Hour and hear the terrible story of the ANNA MARIA HAUNTED VACUUM CLEANER. They don’t allow dogs but sometimes a local will tie their best friend up at the door.

Drift In Bar Art
This is a RhondaK sign hanging at the Drift In. A bar patron bought it for the bar. Another sign not done by me reads I LOVE THIS BAR. The ceiling tiles of the bar are all painted up to be huge business cards for local businesses. Easy viewing for when you fall off the barstool. It is possible..this Bar pours a serious drink. Since I had two cities to go including the Sunshine Skyway—I skipped the world class libations.

Drift In With Sadie The Sales Pug
When I think she is in the mood and it isn’t too hot, I take Sadie the Sales Pug with me to shows. After dropping off the custom sign to one of the Privateers I had to restock Star Fish Company in Cortez and then drive to Gulfport, Florida where I’d set up to sell til 10:30pm. When I sell at Gulfport, I don’t get home til midnight. A long day.

Waiting for Pirates at the Moose Lodge
The Anna Maria Privateers are a fund raising group with a mission to party with a purpose. In Anna Maria they provide for scholarships for kids and also frequently pitch in for medical bills for residents. They have big hearts.
THIS cage is part of their fundraising. They come in and take over a business, group or event and the prisoners have to raise money to get out of jail.
For more information on the Privateers:
http://www.amiprivateers.org

The Pirates INVADE the Bradenton Beach Moose Lodge It was here I found out that Sadie the Sales Pug does NOT like the sounds of canons. I delivered the booty ( AKA Custom Sign for Musky’s Eastside Pub) to some pirates and drove to Cortez, Florida.

Art At Star Fish Company Restaurant I went to Cortez to restock the Star Fish Company Restaurant. I love Cortez. It is one of the major players in the Florida seafood economy. I sell signs there, but other artists sell there too. This is a sign of mine you can read while you’re standing in line. Here are some websites to read further: http://www.starfishcompany.com http://www.fishpreserve.org http:// www.gulffishermen.org /

RhondaK hanging signs for sale at Star Fish Company Restaurant

Oil painter Chuck Miano Sells at Star Fish Company, too. His work is beautiful. He is one of many artists that has been inspired by Cortez, Florida.

Gulfport Florida Artwalk April 19, 2008-4:30pm

Gulfport Florida Artwalk April 19, 2008 These BOOTS were not made for working. I cannot tell you what made me wear them. I believe it was because I had to meet the pirates. I set up in front of Domain Home Accessories. Mike and his partner bought out HT Kanes and now own most of the corner. My work really didn’t sell at Domain ( NICE shop—NOT sea shabby chic. Beautiful chandeliers, metal art and more). BUT, I do have a chance to begin selling at his Beach Bar.

Gulfport Florida Artwalk April 19, 2008 Sadie the Sales Pug didn’t really make it strong the whole day. It was too much for her. But the artwalk at Gulfport is dog friendly so she gets loved up for 5 straight hours. She sits in her YAPPY HOUR chair with ice filling her cup holders. As you can see, she is sitting on her pillow. She just ate a Domain hamburger…and the final pic is her not being able to keep her eyes open. I probably won’t put her through this again til Fall.

Sunday April 20, 2008 Sign Finding Nokomis road trip to REmuse
On Sunday I set out on a tour of Nokomis to look at beach bars and signs. I call this REmusing. It is research on the road.
This is Spanish Pointe Pub. It is Fry Basket Old Florida seafood style and right on the water. It is a great place to meet friends. I got there right at noon.

Casey Key Fish Housr

Casey Key Fish House

Casey Key Fish House The Casey Key Fish House is an open air restaurant with a lot of quirk and style. Across the parking lot is a cabana that is the actual real bar. There are only two bar seats in the actual restaurant. It is by a one lane hand cranked open bridge so one can expect to get stuck in the parking lot. No bar signs in my style. An empty hut on the left may have the potential to be rented.

Images of ride through Casey Key to Nokomis

Pelican Alley Restaurant
Interesting restaurant with a thing for seafood and asiago cheese. By the intracoastal and bridge. I shouldn’t have told the bartender he had a manwhore mouth.

Pelican Alley Restaurant

Gulf Harbor Marina Racks for sale? These racks…not this sort of rack…

Pop’s Sunset Grill the only real beach bar in Sarasota County

Pop’s Sunset Grill Gift Shop…it needs some RHONDAK!

Pop’s Sunset Grill Signs

The End of my working weekend
In the end of it all, I found that maybe Pop’s might be my best bet to sell my work because I had people in the parking lot wanting to go through my signs I hadn’t unpacked from selling at Gulfport. I met a couple that owns a bar in Brandon, Florida that want me to come set up and sell at their fun Old Florida style events. It was a HARD weekend, but a good one. NOW…I have to go to my real job. A lot of times when I’m out selling a person will say I CAN DO THAT. Seriously, this is a lot of work and you need a lot of love in you to get it done!
http://www.rhondakwrites.com

http://www.rhondakwrites.com	102
http://nowhitetent.ning.com	47
http://www.sailmonster.com	7
http://rhondakwrites.com	4
http://lj-toys.com	2
http://www.slideshare.net	2
http://1106360068.nvmodules.netvibes.com	1

Spend a Weekend with RhondaK TIki Bar Sign Painter

by RhondaK Native Florida Folk Artist on Apr 21, 2008

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

7 Embeds 165

Statistics

Spend a Weekend with RhondaK TIki Bar Sign Painter — Presentation Transcript