Ronny Bailey - Key West Artist

The Northwest Passage Lighthouse aka Hemingway House on Stilts

How would you like to buy a cigar maker's cottage made of real Dade County Pine for $2000 or less? Well, you can. Sort of. Ronny Bailey is a fourth generation conch that spent 30 years of his life restoring many of the old houses in Key West. A few years ago he started fooling around with some salvaged Dade County Pine and created his first new old house replica. His wife came home and exclaimed "I didn't know you could do that!" Ronny replied "Neither did I." And so began his new career as artist-carpenter where he creates miniature near replicas of real houses in Key West using salvaged lumber. Ronny stresses that he only uses old salvaged wood to construct the houses. He doesn't paint the pieces. Instead he relies on the ravages of our sun and the weather to create the natural patina that make each piece look so genuine. Ronny's inner artist comes out when he adds a bit of whimsy such as a rooster or a cat napping to his work.

Ronny dropped by my office a couple of weeks ago so that I could take photos of his new piece entitled "The Northwest Passage Lighthouse aka Hemingway House on Stilts". CLICK HERE to view a US Coast Guard photo of the real lighthouse. See the photos below of the artist and his rendering of the lighthouse.

The Northwest Passage Lighthouse aka Hemingway House on Stilts before completed

Photo of the lighthouse interior.
Note the real Dade County Pine wood walls and floor.

CLICK HERE to see Ronny Bailey's website with lots of photos and information on his one of a kind Key West art. Take a couple of minutes to go through the original miniature facades and the more affordable prints. Ronny does commissioned pieces as well.

Ronny Bailey will be exhibiting his works in this weekend at the Key West Craft show (Whitehead and Caroline Streets). If you are in town, you must drop by and view his work. You have to see Ronny's work in person. You cannot resist getting up close and personal with his art. You will be awed! Looks are free, prints cost a bit more, and originals are very expensive. Buying one of Ronny's original artwork facades and taking it back home is cheaper and safer than buying a trailer. We all know that God hates trailers.

Ronny Bailey - Artist

If you are looking to purchase a life size Key West house and are not yet working with a Realtor, please consider contacting me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or by email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida. I sell real houses in Paradise.

The Incredible Shrunk ! Key West

113 Petronia Street - Key West - Re-created by Ronny Bailey

113 Petronia Street - Key West - Re-created by Ronny Bailey

113 Petronia Street - Key West - Re-created by Ronny Bailey

113 Petronia Street - Key West - Re-created by Ronny Bailey

Local artist Ronny Bailey came by our office yesterday and showed off his latest gem. Everybody had to stop work and go take a peek at portrayal of 113 Petronia Street that got shrunk to table top size.

You have to see Ronny's work in person. You cannot resist getting up close and personal with his art. You will be awed!

I wrote about Ronny before. CLICK HERE. He grew up in Key West and was a carpenter for 30 years. Recreation of Old Town Key West homes in miniature sizes is now his passion. He beams with pride as he talks about his work. This is a man in love with his life and his work. And his work is a testament to his love of the place that he has called home. He loves the Key West of yore and recreates houses the way they looked before the gentrification and HARCifornication.

Ronny told me he had discussed creating a piece about 113 Petronia Street with its owner. The owner had some of the original wood used in building the house and gave it to Ronny. Ronny cut, sawed, and carved the wood and created the incredible shrunk.

113 Petronia Street as it appeared in 1965

Ronny will be one of many artists showing their creations at The 25Th Annual Key West Craft Show January 30 to January 31 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Juried artisans and crafters display their talents at a popular show on lower Whitehead and Caroline Streets in historic Old Town.

Visit Ronny's website if you are not in town. CLICK HERE. But if you are here, stop by and see the Incredible Shrunk.

If you are looking for a life size house, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. I sell real houses. They sometimes cost a lot of money. But you can really live in them. CLICK HERE to search the Key West mls. If you see a place you like, please call me. Thanks.

Affordable* Key West Houses

*How would you like to buy a cigar makers cottage made of real Dade County Pine for $2000 or less? Well, you can. Sort of. Ronny Bailey is a fourth generation conch that spent 30 years of his life restoring many of the old houses in Key West. A couple of years ago he started fooling around with some Dade County Pine and created his first new old house replica. His wife came home and expressed in amazement "I didn't know you could do that!" Ronny replied "Neither did I." And so began his new career as artist-carpenter where he creates miniature near replicas of real houses in Key West using salvaged lumber. Ronny stresses that he only uses old salvaged wood to construct the houses. He doesn't paint the pieces. Instead he relies on the ravages of our sun and the weather to create the natural patina that make each piece look so genuine. Ronny's inner artist comes out when he adds a bit of whimsy such as a rooster to his work.

CLICK HERE to visit Ronny's website. Take a couple of minutes to go through the original miniature facades and the more affordable prints. Ronny does commissioned pieces as well.

The photos above are of a piece Ronny just completed. We think. He said he's not sure it's done yet. But pretty sure. I wish I were a better photographer so that you could see the detail in his work. The real building depicted in the art is located at the corner of Frances Street and Olivia. Checkout the little birds sitting on the neon sign above the front door or the cat laying on the second floor window ledge. The buildings Ronny creates are historically correct but the whimsy he adds is purely original. I'm no art critic but Ronny's work sure looks like it will become some very collectible folk art in the not too distant future.

Ronny Bailey will be exhibiting his works in Naples December 12 and 13 and at the Old Island Days Art Festival February 27 and 28. He invites interested buyers to view all of his pieces at any time. Go to his website to make contact.

If you are looking to purchase a slightly larger Key West house CLICK HERE to search the Key West Association of Realtors real mls database. If you see something that interests you, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or contact me be email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty Inc. in Key West, Florida. We sell real houses in Paradise.