It was both terrifying and exciting to get into a Cessna 206 four-seater to head off on a flying adventure over the Florida Gulf Coast to scout ideas for my next painting. As an artist, I'm always looking for new inspiration, and this was a unique opportunity to see the world from a different perspective. But, when a friend asked if I'd like to go flying to scout some views, I hesitated at first, because I have a fear of flying. Giving it a second thought, I decided to suck it up trusting that, as Jen Sincero says, you have to be "ter-cited" (terrified and excited at the same time) to get to the good stuff waiting for you on the other side of your comfort zone.
We took off from Albert Whitted Airport in St. Pete, located directly across the street from the famed Dali Museum. This city offers a perfect blend of aviation, art, sailing, and culture, which is why my husband and I chose to live here. During the flight, I closed down my nervous mind, looked out the windows, held my breath for pretty much the ENTIRE takeoff, and took pictures.
We took off from Albert Whitted Airport in St. Pete, located directly across the street from the famed Dali Museum. This city offers a perfect blend of aviation, art, sailing, and culture, which is why my husband and I chose to live here. During the flight, I closed down my nervous mind, looked out the windows, held my breath for pretty much the ENTIRE takeoff, and took pictures.
The beautiful view of the coastline, seen in the photo below of the bridge to Tierra Verde and beyond, reminded me of why we chose this place for this chapter in our lives.
My bird's eye view of Shell Key Nature Preserve and Fort DeSoto was breathtaking.
I'm glad I said "yes" to moving outside my comfort zone on this one. It was indeed a thrill, white knuckles and all. The video below shows the painting I made shortly after returning from my Cessna-in-the-sky afternoon:
To see more art featuring Shell Key Nature Preserve, and the Florida Gulf Coast, check out this post about my recent Bunces Pass Painting inspired by the photography with permission of Kyle Henrick.
