MONEY KEY ISLAND MEMORIES

Florida Keys © 2016

Photographic Story Money Key is a tiny island near the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys. Every time we drove past it I would look down upon it and stare in wonder. For years I had wanted to visit the island and I finally got my chance when Clyde and I stayed in the Keys for a month. One of the first places we visited, via boat, was Money Key Island.  We had the little island all to ourselves. It was like our own little paradise. Years later, Hurricane Irma hit. The photographs of the island reveal one dead palm tree and stripped vegetation, with the surrounding mangroves gone. The island was decimated. The Art of Hand Painting Black and White Photographs Photographed with a Sony digital camera and instead of oil painting with Q-tips and cotton balls, Niki was able to paint using Photoshop. Changing from the old-fashioned way of doing her art, to the new ‘fashion’ of using technology was challenging, but she’s enjoying getting back to her own personal expression. Archival Print Making Niki’s open edition gicleé artwork is printed on Sunset Bright Velvet Rag matte finish paper using eight archival inks. A state-of-the-art Epson Stylus Pro printer creates deep, rich dark values that hold subtle detail in the shadows as well as bright vivid colors that are truly tropical.