Are you familiar with this Ikki?

Many of you will probably remember this piece. It may have been hanging in your grandparent's time-share on Sanibel or their guestroom up North. Today, someone asked me if I could restore her copy, because it had faded from years of sun exposure. Hers' was a lithograph that was released in 1976. Well, we all know now how bad the sun can damage everything we love. Back then they didn't know or have UV glass or acid-free matting and backing, so I had to tell her that there is no way to reverse that type of damaged, but that she could stop any further damage by reframing her piece through a reputable custom frame shop (preferably a Mom and Pop versus a BIGBOX craft/fabric stores.)

Her story and many more like hers is the reason why I'm constantly on the look-out for vintage Ikkis. The one shown above is one that I had found and had digitized. I then, personally, restored each grain of sand and restored color to the delicate butterflies. As I am restoring these older pieces, I have realized that any first-hand stories about any of the artwork or living with my parents will be lost when my brothers and I go to join our parents.

I'm going to start sharing my stories before they are gone. I hope you find them interesting and entertaining. If nothing else my children will get to hear the stories again.

I am the little girl in my father's artwork and I remember posing for my dad for this piece. He took pictures, of course, since I was 6 or 7 years old and if you knew me then, I was a whirlwind. I wish I still had the actual photograph he worked from, but I do have this picture, which was taken at the same time.

Man, my mom had great taste in shoes... and she loved red shoes till the day she died. Here, I'm laying on the back steps of the Burnap Cottage, which is now at the Historical Village on Sanibel, next to BIG Arts. Then, it sat at the end of Woodring Rd on Tarpon Bay. I have so many happy memories of our life in this little cottage. My father's drawing table was in the kitchen and mom's loom and spinning wheel were in the Livingroom.

And, yes sometimes a floor full of prints. These are the Stranger on the Beach from the Sandpiper Series.

See the rug that dad was kneeling on... I loved storms in that house, cause if the winds blew the right way they would come up through the floor and make the carpet float, like magic. That was cool to a 6 year old. One time, lightening must have struck close, because I remember a thin thread of light shot through the house from one key hole in the Livingroom to the other key hole in the kitchen.

Here are some other photos from our time on "The Point", including dad's boat he bought planning on sailing trips to the keys, but we never made it, because it sank right there at our dock. Afterwards, he did buy a smaller Mystic River Cat boat and taught me to sail on Tarpon Bay, which inspired, "Fly By Night."

Many of these photos were taken by Charlie McCullough, because he and his wife Ann were neighbors, along with the Woodring family, and several other full-timers.

Even our little dog, Jessie co-starred in "Up, Up Butterfly" with me.

FUN FACT: Did you know that the movie Night Moves with Gene Hackman was filmed right there at the end of Woodring road. They are suppose to be in the Keys, but you can see the old Toll Plaza and he drives over the Sanibel's Iconic Causeway.

Stay inspired,

Amy