August 2014 – Gator Girl Art

Embellishing a Giclee’

Posted on August 26, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

I revisited an old friend this week. That’s what it seemed like when I worked on Expecting Grace again.

I enjoyed painting a giclee’ more than I thought I would. The same woman who bought the original of Feathered Friends asked me to embellish a giclee’ of Expecting Grace. She asked for bubble paper on the hair and pieces of paper in the background like the original.

We both looked for months for the same bubble paper. If I find it again, I will buy a ream. We settled for a similar paper, a little heavier, and not as bubbly. I used the tiny bit of the original paper that I had left over. On the paper background I put a tissue butterfly because the new owner is always going through huge changes brought on by extreme bravery. I added an old stamp from Israel and sheet music. You can’t see any of that any more. I like that it is there.

Embellishing Giclee' — Embellishing Giclee’

I can still tone down the background, but I like it bright today. It is not as white as it looks. It is more of a cream.

I am putting some necklaces in my Etsy store.

I cannot get a picture that looks clear. The necklaces are small prints (30 mm square/ 1.18 inches) of my art. 19/52 of the original paintings made into necklaces. I have been selling necklaces out of my studio and at festivals for $20. A few Pussyfooters have asked for them. This is why I decided to put them on-line. They are easy to put in a padded envelope and stick in the mail.

That’s what’s up this week.

See ya later (alligator),

Gator Girl

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Beading the Mardi Gras Indian

Posted on August 22, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

I started beading. It is taking longer than painting. I can see why it takes a year to make a costume. I started on the front of the headdress with sequins.

I like the seed beads better. Because they are smaller than the sequins, they are more forgiving. I think they look more traditionally Native American.

On the lower part of his suit I am going to bead a design with seed beads on another piece of material and attach it to the painting with gel medium. I like sewing directly on the canvas, but it is awkward and thick. I can’t sew on the bottom of the canvas because of the stretcher bars. Mardi Gras Indians usually sew the beads on a separate piece of material and attach it to their suit. By the end of this project, I will know what works best for me.

Raffi hasn’t started pre-school yet. While he was over here this week, he worked on his big painting. It is 30 x 40 inches. It is not finished yet. For sure he is going to put a little more paint on Lacy. When he is all finished, he will add goggly eyes.

Lacy is a cat that has a “tail like a raccoon”. Alberta is a Guinea pig. Kenobi is a mix of Great Dane, Lab and maybe Pitbull. The crawfish is John Jones Nixon. When Raffi finishes his painting, I will post photos of the animals.

Until next time.

With scaly love,

Gator Girl

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Back Street Museum

Posted on August 11, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

Welcome to the dog days of summer. It is hot in New Orleans in August.

I finished Magnolia. Magnolia is blending with the tree by the same name. If you look closely, she has little dots on her tissue crown and in the iris of her eyes, representing the seeds in the magnolia blossom. She is glistening a little from the August heat. She is in the middle of being framed in a dark green recycled screen door. I want to get a photo before I frame her. The magnificent Dorka is back in New Orleans and available to photograph this week!

I started a fun painting inspired by the Waterbeams and their advertisement for new members. I already like the woman on the right edging away from the blissful gator.

I am ready to bead the Mardi Gras Indian. I have some apprehension, because I don’t want to make a mistake. I looked at some photos my sweet darlin’ took on Super Sunday last Mardi Gras.

I looked at many photos on-line. I went to Jefferson Variety to buy gems, beads and talk to the helpful staff. The women showed me photos and told me what they knew about costuming. I talked to a Mardi Gras Indian buying sequins for her costume. She told me that Downtown Indians use more sequins and pin feathers and Uptown Indians used more beads, gems and plume feathers. Now I really didn’t want to blow it.

From there, I was directed to the Backstreet Cultural Museum. I looked at the costumes closely and took my time. It is OK to take pictures at the museum. Here are two. Notice on the first photo, there are sequins, beads and gems.

In this example, the scene is entirely beaded.

At the Backstreet Cultural Museum, I learned the only rule is to start fresh every year. You are not allowed to use part of last years costume.

In my painting, I am going to sew beads, sequins and gems on the parts of the costume that are pinkish red. I cannot sew on the very bottom because of the wood bracing in the back. I am not sure what I am doing there yet.