February 2012 – Gator Girl Art

Mardi Gras

Posted on February 25, 2012February 25, 2012 by gatorgirlart

Hi y’all,

Things have been super fun and exhausting here with our first Mardi Gras. I think on Sunday there were 7 or 8 parades. It was like hanging out in a tent village. The best part for me was the parade goers. Everyone was so friendly. There are special throws that you try to catch at certain parades. Maggie got a shoe at the Muses all decorated with glitter, David got a Zulu coconut, and Will Farrell gave Maggie and David a cow bell. Pretty awesome and free fun. Y’all will just have to come see for your self.

This was walking distance from our house.

What I am sharing this week is the progression of 2 paintings that I am working on. You will have to use your imagination about what they are going to look like when I am finished or check in next week when I am done. The skeleton is finally coming along. I am going to call her La Femme Fatale. I went through a lot of names. I think it was because I started painting what I had in mind, but forgot to check in with her. A couple of names that she had for a while were Lasting Beauty and Haunting Beauty. Maggie wanted to name her “A field of Unicorns”. Apparently, the unicorns were invisible. I like La Femme Fatale because New Orleans has such a French influence and She is hanging out in the French Quarter around Mardi Gras. She is pretty fatale being beyond the flesh and blood stage of her life.

skeleton in progress — first skeleton picture

I decided that I didn’t like such small details, so I went larger.

In the second picture, I am starting to like her here, but she has a long way to go.

Fetching, I’d say, in a fatal way. Those are little crawfish fireflies in the street light, a small alligator playing a tambourine on her shoulder. She is now wearing a little hat with a veil that is so popular with the parade crowd. She had on a real Mardi Gras bead necklace, but I removed it for now. I may add it back in using an old glass bead throw that you can still catch once in a while. I put a net veil on the hat, but liked the permanence of a painted veil. I put little glitter fleur dis lis on her dress. This painting has been a labor. Some times things don’t come easily.

She is starting to look satisfied. I would say she’s almost finished.

I just want to introduce the painting I am having a lot of fun with. She is Mardi Gras Muse. If you want inspiration, paint a muse. They so love the attention.

I picked 3 colors: mars black, magenta and white. I painted these words on in gold: Mardi Gras feel the happy love. I added a big heart on the right and 2 little hearts on the left.

I am just going to have fun with her. Lots of symbols, pictures and words in her hair. She will have plenty of bling on her mask and glitter on her tiara. I see her so clearly already.

I hope you check in next week to see the progress. Life in New Orleans is a dream come true.

What we found out during Mardi Gras is that it is not a sprint, it is a marathon, so pace yourself. There is a bit of life wisdom in that.

With grateful and abundant love,

Gator Girl

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In Search of Grace and My Mini Muse

Posted on February 16, 2012 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all! A week sure goes by quickly!

I am still not sure that this is a valid use of my time, but I am trusting the process.

I like the part of journaling where I don’t have to worry about the longevity of my art. If the glue fails… whatever. And I can try new things like what I see Effy Wild and Tam Laporte create. BTW, they are both really fun to watch.

I find it interesting that I chose a word and I am still searching for the meaning of that word. Again, just trusting.

If you look closely, you can see I wrote “sharing what you have” and had to change it to “I“. LOL, that’s telling.

(I am in love with duct tape).

I layered the back page with prayers. I love to put a lot of intent into the page. I put some stamps that my Aunt Ruth gave me because at 93 she is still full of grace and remembers everyone with cards.

Now the best for last. Tonight is the parade of the Muses’s. I am pretty excited about that. Magpie dressed as a muse for preschool today.

Happy Mardi Gras!

In celebration of you!

Gator Girl

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A picture is worth 1,000 words

Posted on February 10, 2012February 10, 2012 by gatorgirlart

Hi y’all,

Choosing a word for the year has been so powerful for me, I thought WOW, pictures would be incredible. I have never made a vision board before. I always thought that it would take too much time. It’s kind of weird to think that, because I watch television. That should probably be the first thing to go when you think about wasting time.

I am going to show you in pictures step by step my process and what supplies I used. I had little regard for the visual outcome. I stayed loose and had fun. You can watch with me as the reality of the pictures unfold for me during the year.

Vision Board 2012 — What 2012 holds in store.

I used a piece a cardboard 26 x 40 inches. I didn’t want to use so much expensive paint to cover the background, so I covered it with spray adhesive (kind of glued my flip-flops to the floor in the process) and applied a piece of fancy red paper from the art store for $2.90. I bordered it with black and white checkered duct tape for about $5.00. I love the tape.

Next, I lit a candle and thought about what I wanted to see in the coming year. I Googled an image. When hundreds of images came up, I chose the one that spoke to me (not literally).

My daughter, Angie and I are adopting Samuel Square Park. You can click on the tab “Give Back” and see pictures of the park as it is today. We have a lot of plans, but are just in the beginning stages of development. We got the OK from Annie at the New Orleans Park Commission to start a booster club.

Just saying, there is an uncanny resemblance to Brad Pitt.

David and I traveling — Traveling with David

I drew a hat on David, because the picture had too much hair. I like this picture, because I have a rolling suitcase and David is carrying his. That is just how we like to do it. The picture has so many places to see!

For our sister road trip, I required a convertible and an open road. I colored the blonde woman’s hair red like my sis.

Year of the Dragon — Powerful, Change-Making Dragon

I have been loving Caran D’Arche water-soluble crayons. You can use them as is, wet them after you apply them or paint with them by rubbing your paint brush against them. I also used acrylic paint. Paint is still my favorite means of expression.

Let me know if you have been inspired to change your life using pictures.

You rock!

Until next week, in unending love,

Gator Girl

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Artist in Residence

Posted on February 2, 2012February 2, 2012 by gatorgirlart

Hi y’all,

Today, I am updating you on Maggie’s painting.

She started adding some detail. Skeleton Jack is on the left and Sally is the pink one on the right. They are using a “contraction” to walk. They don’t have proper feet. On the bottom she put a strip of painter’s tape and then removed it after painting over the tape. She is painting flowers on that strip for Sally.