"Ossabaw Donkeys at the Mansion Watercolor" was photographed on October 24, 1922 and converted to a digital fine art watercolor in November, 2022.
On this particular day, I was only able to spend the day on Ossabaw Island. I had earned a day trip by donating a photography work to the Ossabaw Island Foundation's annual art auction. The piece went for $550 during the auction in which I was well pleased. During the day trip, I was allowed to visit any area on the north end of Ossabaw, so I chose to visit the Spanish style mansion that Sandy West lived in until she was 103 years old.
The mansion was built in 1926 by Dr. Henry and Nell Torrey. Dr. Torrey died in the 1945 and Nell Torrey dies in 1959 upon which time Sandy Torrey West and her late brother's heirs inherited the island. Sandy was the only one interest in living on the island full time and became the only full time resident. In 1961 she established the Ossabaw Island Foundation and lived on the island until 2016.
The donkeys were brought to the island by Sandy West and are wild feral donkeys meaning they live off the land in the wild and are free to roam the island. They are Sicilian donkeys which are the most friendly species of donkeys.