Key West has always been known for its colorful inhabitants with a creative outlook. Once you leave the crowds of Duval Street and the long list of tourist hotspots such as Margaritaville, Sloppy Joe’s and your favorite key lime pie house, you begin to see how truly “colorful” the locals really are in their daily lives. An impromptu visit to The Conch Republic last weekend allowed us some time to explore a few of the back roads. At only 2 miles x 4 miles in size, I thought I had seen them all, but I was wrong. While traveling, a unique truck caught my attention from a quiet side street. With a loving nod from my lovely wife, I circled the block to investigate the find.
As Key West is an island, connected to the mainland by a number of bridges of varying sizes, the clear waters and all things ocean are important to the locals. It impacts all aspects of their lives from the seafood on the dinner plate to the art they create. Apparently, the owner of this once common Ford F-150 decided to turn his transportation into a rolling piece of marine art. From what I could see, the truck started with a basic blue base coat. A mural of ocean textures, coral and various fish species came next. Of course, what kind of ocean scene would this be without 3-D corals and shells strategically attached…all over! This once common pick up, that would never get any attention, has now become something that not only made me do a double take, but make an effort to fight throngs of tourists to circle the block, just to get a closer look.
After admiring, photographing and chuckling a bit, I had to follow the artist’s lead and say to myself, “What The…Truck?”
Single Frame, Processed in LR and Topaz Clarity
