The "Faces of Strangers #29" Story

Micka

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I made our second visit into the city of Marigot, St. Martin to try and locate the artist who designs and creates small ceramic tiles decorated with the colors of the Caribbean on them.  Carol has been buying a tile a year for the past three years and we have them hanging in our master bathroom above her sink.  On our first visit to the city, we found the marketplace closed since there were no cruise ships that particular day and therefore very few tourists visiting and buying at the marketplace.  Today, after luckily finding a parking place along he Boulevard de France, we walked toward the marketplace, passing fishermen selling their fresh catches, spice vendors, tourist vendors selling trinkets and clothing and artists of all types selling their work.  We finally saw the table covered with the beautiful tiles that also grace the wall in our bathroom.  

Some of the many designs done by Micka.

The woman who is the artist of the tiles goes by the name of Micka and was an Italian born copywriter for an advertising agency for years in Rome.  She decided there was more to life than that, so she sailed off into the sunset, reaching the Caribbean and landing on the beautiful island of French St. Martin in 2001.  She now expresses herself in her visual artwork.  We always enjoy our yearly meetings with her.  She explains that she paints with the eyes full of the colors, the lights and the shades of this land and these oceans on her pictures.  A few years ago she began painting on tiles and they have become her best sellers.  She uses a technique fresh and fast, quick dots of pure color that give movement and depth to the paintings, getting close to the astonishing brightness and texture of Saint Martin's nature.  Her tiles come in a few background colors with the brilliant colors glazed on them.  Carol showed her a photo on her phone of the three tiles she already has and the two of them finally decided on a few new tiles.  I'm sure we will have many great memories of our trips to St. Martin every time we brush our teeth or wash our hands in the master bathroom and see the colorful tiles hanging on the wall.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.