That’s what’s here, mosquitos and lizards, beautiful plants, humming birds, turquois colored ocean. Oh, and a rat that got into the kitchen last night, that Havard, one of the artists that is here, killed with a trap. More on that later.
It’s 6:04PM in St. Barth’s and I’m sitting out on the porch at the house where I’ll be staying for the next 28 days that are left in my artist residency. Across from me is Maya Schindler, another one of the artist who is ending her residency here. She has been here for almost a month and is from Los Angles, where she is returning on Monday. We hit it off and have been hanging out today, she showed me around a couple of the beaches and the ins and outs of staying here. She had her opening in the gallery last night. I arrived here yesterday around 2:00PM. Flew into St. Marteen on the American Airline flight. From St. Marteen I had to get on a VERY tiny airplane to hop over to St. Barths. The plane sat six people, including the pilot and had two, small propellors. As we walked out to the plane, I had heard that the plane would be small and some people prefer taking a boat, so I was a little prepared, but once I saw how small it was, I got anxious. After getting into the plane, we sat there for about five minutes while they tossed our luggage into a small space behind out seats, and at that point, I became very claustrophobic, which I was not expecting at all. The real kind of claustrophobia - where I almost had to ask if I could get out and stand outside for a bit, calm down, and then get back in. It was such a strange feeling, the kind you have no control over, I don’t think I’ve felt that before. Not wanting to create a spectacle and inconvenience others sitting near me, I calmed myself down and before I knew it we were in the air. Oddly enough I felt better once we were off the ground where I had no chance to get out of the plane and cause a stir.
Landed in St. Barth about fifteen minutes later, a real quick, fast and hard landing, which I had read about on the internet, the famed St. Barth runway experience. Got out of the plane and met Martina Aschbacher, the woman who is in charge of running the residency. Martina is a tall, thin, blonde, blue eyed beautiful woman from Austria. She was very welcoming. We had exchanged many emails over the past six months in preparation of me coming here but this was the first time we had met in person. We picked up my one bag, went to a car rental place in the small building that was the airport where Martina put me into a tiny car which I used to follow her up some windy roads, through a gate that opened onto the driveway which was flanked by tons of beautiful, overgrown plants to the house of the residency, where I am now.
First impressions.....I must admit I was a little freaked out once we finally got to the house. It is so open, quiet and relaxed, having come from New York City that morning I was fully unprepared to take it down a notch and relax. Martina showed me the room I would be staying in until Monday at which point I’ll be moving downstairs to the apartment and studio where I’ll be sleeping and working for the remainder of my time here. It’s a big, sprawling home, mostly made of porches. Everything is connected to and involves the OUTSIDE where plants, odd looking birds, gekko’s and large lizards live (more on the lizards later).
The porch over looks a sprawling valley and beyond that, the vast ocean where the sun sets. Up a small staircase overgrown with more plants is another large deck and a swimming pool lined with deep blue tiles. Recently, on uTube, I was watching a documentary on Charles Manson and this house reminds me of the serene and beautiful home where the Sharon Tate murder took place, long ago in 1969 in a far away place, California.
Havard Homstvedt is another artist here at the moment. He and his girlfriend, Stina, both from Norway, are in the apartment downstairs, they leave tomorrow. I met them when I first got here. Nice people and I really like Havard’s paintings. Martina introduced me - Stina in a hammock reading a book and Havard swatting mosquitos with what appeared to be a yellow tennis racquet, but was actually an electrified mosquito swatter, it fries and zaps them as you wave the raquet into the air, catching the bloodsuckers in the metal strings. I’ve only been here a little more than 24 hours and I’ve been carrying one of these racquets everywhere I go. It not only kills the pests, it’s actually fun. They really make a loud zapping noise when you get them. I don’t feel bad about it because they are everywhere and my legs already have bites. Not a big deal though, part of the experience here.
Last night after going to the gallery for Maya’s opening, the five of us, Maya, Havard, Stina, Martina and myself, had a nice dinner at a restaurant on the beach. When we got home I closed the front door to the house, which Maya told me has been open since she got here, because it creates a nice breeze through the house, and she’s right. We got home around 1:30AM and I shut the door after everyone had gone to bed. With it’s 70’s style wood work and large, brass doorknob, thoughts of Manson and Squeaky Fromme paying a visit entered my head.
Today was the first day I got in the ocean. It really is clear, warm, and beautiful. Maya showed me two beaches, I went in both times. I am too afraid to swim alone, so if there was someone else in the water, a stranger, I sort of ease my way into the waves and hover close enough to them where I feel like I’m not alone, but far enough away so they don’t think I’m approaching them to start a conversation.
